Leek And Potato Soup With Mustard Toasts

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 50 g butter (2 oz)
• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 5 large leeks, sliced
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 1/4 liters vegetable stock (2 pints)
• 2 bay leaves
• 300 ml milk (1/2 pint)
• chopped fresh parsley
• 1 long thin baguette
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard

Recipe

• 1 melt the butter in a large pan.
• 2 add the bacon and fry it until it is just starting to colour.
• 3 add the leeks and potatoes, then stir well until they are glistening.
• 4 add the stock and bay leaves, season and bring to the boil.
• 5 partly cover and simmer for 15 minutes until everything is cooked.
• 6 fish out the bay leaves, then purée the soup in batches in a food processor or blender.
• 7 turn into the pan and stir in the milk.
• 8 reheat gently and season to taste.
• 9 add more stock or water if the soup seems too thick (this will depend on the size of your potatoes).
• 10 sprinkle with parsley to serve.
• 11 making toasts: heat oven to 200c.
• 12 cut the baguette into thin diagonal slices.
• 13 mix the oil and mustard together, then brush over both sides of the bread.
• 14 spread them on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
• 15 serve with the soup for dipping.
• 16 they can be baked earlier in the day and served cold or warmed.