This is a flavoursome, filling and warming soup for winter - made to feed a crowd! Check out the video above to see how simple it is to make.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Serves: 6+
Ingredients
For the stock:
- 1 bacon hock
- 2 carrots trimmed halved and quartered
- 2 celery stalks cut into pieces
- 1 large onion cut into quarters
- 10-20 peppercorns
- Handful of parsley
For the soup:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large leeks halved and sliced
- 800-900 gms of potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp of thyme leaves
- Chopped parsley to serve
- Salt to season if needed
Method
For the stock: Put all ingredients into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Gently simmer on the stove top for a few hours or, if you have a slow cooker, leave it on low for 8 hours.
Let the stock cool. Skim the fat from the top and drain the liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve bacon hock and the stock for the soup but discard the vegetables and fat (I feed mine to my friends chickens!).
Take the meat from the bone, discard the fat. Chop the meat into small chuncks for the soup.
To make the soup: Put oil in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and put the potatoes on top. Add about a tablespoon of water. Once the pan warms add the lid ,lower heat and cook until the leek starts to wilt and soften.
Add about a litre or two of your bacon stock and the thyme. Bring to boil and then lower heat, cook for around 40-60 minutes. It should be very tender once cooked.
Purée half the mixture in a blender or transfer to a bowl to mash it until smooth. Add that back the the soup pot along with the chopped reserved bacon hock.
Season to taste.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley ..... maybe some crusty bread to mop the bowl!
