This recipe originally comes from a friend of my Mum. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods: simple, delicious, satisfying. It is good enough plain, but what makes it extra good is stirring toppings into your bowl of soup. I really like adding shredded cheese and hand-peeled shrimp. Crumbled bacon is also really good.

I don’t worry about exact measurements with this soup – it is very forgiving, and also versatile for substitutions and personal preference. Try adding a sweet potato and a spoonful of chipotle puree and top it with bacon and cheese for a Southwestern-ish version.

Use whatever type of potato you happen to have on hand. My favorite is Yukon Gold, but any kind will work. Look for leeks with as much white as possible, and clean them really well to remove any dirt that gets between the layers. To clean, remove the tough dark green parts, reserving the white and light green parts. Slice in half lengthwise first, the slice into semi circles. Place them in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around with your hands. Let it settle for a minute – the dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the leeks will float on top. Scoop out the leeks, drain in a colander, and proceed with the recipe :)…

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