Leek and potato soup is one of the cheapest and easiest homemade soups. Besides, it’s so tasty that even fussy eater children will love it. Here’s a basic recipe which you can tweak by adding your favorite spices.

Ingredients:

• 2 leeks
• 2 potatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 4 cups water
• salt and pepper

Directions:
Clean the leek, trim the top and bottom and remove the outer layer. Section the leek longitudinally in quarters, then chop them. Rinse the chopped leek thoroughly in running water. Peel and dice the potatoes.

In a deep skillet, melt the butter, then add the leek, garlic and potatoes and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir for a few times. Add water, vegetable stock cubes and a little salt (if stock cubes are already salty, you may not want to add more salt at all). Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are done. You can check them with a fork after the first 15 minutes of cooking to see if they are soft.

If you prefer your leek and potato soup to have a chunky texture, you’re done. Ladle it into bowls, sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley and some ground pepper on top and serve it hot.

If you’d rather have your potato leek soup creamy, just let it cool for several minutes, then blend it with a handheld food processor. You’ll need to reheat it a little before serving.