Ingredients

• 3 kg. potatoes, peeled and finely diced

• 600 gm. onions (3 medium), finely diced

• 600 gm. leeks, finely sliced into thin rings

• 200 gm. celery (4 large sticks) finely diced

• 50 ml. olive oil

• 1 tsp. garlic purée

• 1 tsp. sea salt

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

• 3 vegetable stockpots* or stock cubes

• 1.5 to 2 litres hot water

• Watercress for garnish (optional) soup.

• *Stock pot is a small pot of jellied stock

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and gently soften (not brown) them on a medium heat.

2. Add the leeks and soften.

3. Mix in the celery and soften.

4. Add the potatoes and mix in well. Please note that once the potatoes are added to the pan, it can start to catch at the bottom, so stir well.

5. Add the oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic and the stockpots.

6. Top up with the hot water and stir in well.

7. Cook on a low to medium heat stirring occasionally, for a good hour or more, so that the potatoes break down to thicken the soup.

8. Serve with a nice, crusty bread.

9. Also see Soup Selection.

Notes

• You can serve it with a little cream spooned over top.

• You could pur?e the whole soup, but I would suggest that you take out and save some of the leeks. Add leeks back after blending the