Carrot, parsnip and leek soup

I hate to waste food, so often as not I tend to make a soup with vegetables that are getting a bit long in the tooth in the bottom of the fridge. This soup was made with the remains of a pack of multi-coloured carrots I had picked up locally, a couple of parsnips and a sad and lonely leek.

The secret to a good soup is to use a quality stock, I either make my own (if I have time) mostly though I use a quality stock powder such as Essential Cuisine, I find their stocks are really tasty but light at the same time and not over salted.

This is a wholesome soup rich in vegetables and is ideal to serve to vegetarian guests and it complements homemade crusty bread perfectly.

Ingredients

• Carrots - peeled and finely diced
• Parsnips - peeled and finely diced
• 1 large leeks, washed and sliced into rings
• A little vegetable oil
• Vegetable stock or butter
• Salt and Pepper

Method

• Warm a little vegetable oil in a large saucepan
• Fry the chopped vegetables very gently (sweat) without colouring
• Stir frequently to make sure no vegetables catch
• Add enough stock to cover the vegetables, bring to a gentle simmer
• Simmer, covered until the vegetable are softened.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly
• Blend with a hand blender to your desired consistency
• Add a little more stock to thin and taste for seasoning
• Bring back to a gentle simmer, serve in attractive soup bowls