Vegan Leek and Potato Soup is one of my favourite soups to make.

I love to grow my own vegetables and one of the easiest to grow are leeks. I have grown them for years because they are brilliant as I just leave them in the ground until I want to use them.

Nothing is as good as deciding to make this soup and then going out to my vegetable patch to pull some leeks. It makes me feel very accomplished! I often grow potatoes too but did not grow them this year.

Vegan Leek and Potato Soup is very simple and quick to make. Soups are very easy to make as they generally just involve throwing vegetables into a saucepan and as soon as they are cooked then it is ready! All soups are very nutritious as all the ingredients are cooked in the liquid which forms the base of the soup so no vitamins are lost.

The leeks are sliced and sautéed gently in some butter or margarine until soft. Then add the chopped potatoes with the milk or soya milk and parsley.

The potatoes should be chopped into small cubes because then the cooking time is reduced as they cook faster than larger pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the stock cube. Cook until the vegetables are tender and then blend until smooth. Season to taste and serve. It is a perfect meal if you have it with my One Hour Soft White Bread.

This is one of my favourite soups even though I’m not usually a fan of green vegetables! Most vegetables that are green have a higher iron content. This makes them great to include in a vegetarian diet as it can be lacking in iron. Soup of any kind is simple to make with just about any vegetables that you have hanging around because it does not matter if they are past their best.

Soup is a great way to get vegetables into children. They might not like vegetables generally they like soup! You should blend soup for children to a smooth texture because then they will not see any vegetables.

This can easily be made Vegan by using margarine and soya milk to replace the dairy products.

It is amazing how many restaurants use chicken stock in vegetable soups!!

Always check if you are Vegan or Vegetarian. You might assume that because the soup is vegetable that there are no animal products in it but I have found that is not always the case!!

One day I got presented with a lovely chunky vegetable soup. Just as I went to eat it I noticed white strands in it. When I asked what it was only to be informed it was chicken from the carcass used to make the stock!

I am sure it does not make a difference if you do not mind eating animal products but I feel very strongly that those choosing a plant based diet should be able to do so easily!