* Leek and Potato Soup

Unbelievably, even after Minstrelgate last Sunday... I have lost 3.5lbs this week.... that's 8.5lbs total in 3 weeks.

...I'll be right back...

Gets up and flings self round room "Birthday Dance Stylie"

Hold on. 

I'm still flinging....

Done.

That's got to have earned me some activity points... and perhaps a glass of wine (or three)... and maybe a piece of chocolate cake. A very small piece.

No. This is not a huge lead up to a recipe for a chocolate cake of any description. This is a recipe for soup... did someone just gasp in shock?!? I KNOW... more soup. I like soup. If you've read any of my previous entries you already know this. Soup is my *go to* food. No matter whether I am trying to lose weight, eat healthy or just stuff my face - soup has a firm hold on my heart, and my stomach... and sometimes my chin.

This is yet another family favourite, Neil's in particular, and is lovely sopped up with Cheese and Mustard Scones or a chunk of Courgette and Cheddar Loaf.

Yes. I am shamelessly plugging my own food.

One day... I will rule the world.

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Serves 4 - 5

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 35 minutes

You will need
A large saucepan with lid
A food blender/stick blender

Ingredients
1 tbsp Utterly Butterly (or lower fat butter substitute type stuffy wuffy)
3 leeks - trimmed and chopped
1 onion - chopped
500g (peeled weight) potatoes - peeled and chopped
1 litre chicken stock - from a cube is fine
Salt and pepper for seasoning
30ml crème fraîche
4 -5 tsps crème fraîche for garnish (optional)
1 tbsp fresh chopped chives (optional)

Method
Place the pan over a medium heat and melt the utterly butterly, then add all of the vegetables and stir well. Put the lid on and drop the heat to low. Sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes until softened, giving the occasional stir and making sure they don't start to colour or stick to the pan.

After 15 minutes, remove the lid and add the chicken stock and seasoning. Turn up the heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are completely cooked.

Allow to cool slightly before putting through a blender ( you may will probably have to do this in batches) and blending until completely smooth and velvety. Return to the cooking pan and the stove, add the crème fraîche and whisk to combine. Heat through without boiling. Serve garnished with a teeny weeny teaspoon of crème fraîche and a scattering of fresh chopped chives (optional).

EAT

4 propoints per serving of soup

NOTE: You can of course, make this soup with full fat butter, but please don't use olive oil or any other type of oil, it's not quite right for this. It needs a buttery background to taste right.

You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.