Thai-Spiced Potato Leek Soup
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
450g/16 oz leeks, white and light green parts only
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp minced garlic
2-3 tsp minced ginger
1/2 – 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
1 dash Worcestershire sauce, gluten free
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced (optional)
2-3 rashers of bacon, diced and cooked (Optional)
900g/32 oz potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
5 cups vegetable stock, gluten free (I used Massels)
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: parsley, chopped pistachios, etc
Method
Trims the ends of the leeks, then slice them in half lengthwise. Fan them out slightly as you run them under water to clean out any dirt. Then chopped them into 1/4 inch thick chunks.
Heat oil in your soup pot, then add the leeks and cook, stirring, until the leeks have softened. About 8 mins.
Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and Thai chile and mix well.
Add the potato chunks, the bacon – if using, the Worcestershire and the stock, and bring up to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer soup, covered, for up to 20 mins, or until the potatoes are soft when you prick them with a fork.
Turn off the heat.
Either put the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender to blitz the soup. If you have any difficult potato chunks you can use a potato masher like I did.
Serve hot.