This week, with the weather being a little cold and even wet, Roy decided it was perfect soup weather. Roy loves soup, not just because it is tasty, but because it is very good for using up leftover bits and pieces. He looked through his vegetable box and noticed a few potatoes which were beginning to look a bit sad and knew he had a lovely ham hock in the fridge. He even had some homemade chicken stock to use up in the freezer. Potato, Leek and Ham Soup it was! So this week, Roy Creates Simply Delicious Potato, Leek and Ham Soup.
You Will Need:
- About a litre of stock. Roy used chicken stock which he had made, but you can use instant stock or store bought.
- A ham hock
- A leek
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
- About 500 grams of potatoes (give or take – you can use more or less depending on what you have, it will just make your soup thicker or thinner)
- Some cream. Roy used cream for cooking, but you can use whatever you prefer.
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Roy made this soup in the slow cooker but you can do this soup on the stove top if you prefer.
- Wash the leek, discarding the tough, green outer leaves.
- Cut up the leek and peel and roughly chop the garlic
- Peel and dice the potatoes. You will puree the soup later, so don’t worry about the size too much.
- Put the vegetables all into the slow cooker and nestle the ham hock in amongst them
- Pour over the stock
- Turn the slow cooker on and allow to cook for several hours on low. Roy cooked his soup for about 7 or 8 hours.
- Before serving, lift the ham hock out and strip the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the soup and throw away the bones
- Use a stick blender to puree the soup. Roy likes his to stay a little chunky, but you can puree it as much or as little as you like.
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as you think is necessary. It will depend on your stock and your ham hock how much you need.
- Serve with a dollop of cream and enjoy!
- This soup is great served with Roy’s Cheese Loaf!