Potato leek soup with wild garlic oil

Spring is in the air, bringing all those lovely ingredients with it. We obviously need to make the most of it! This potato-leek soup with wild garlic oil is literally spring in a bowl. We keep it nicely chunky, so you can really see and taste the fresh ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 large leeks, white and light-green parts only (in 1 cm rings)
• 400 g potatoes, peeled and cut into even cubes
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 75 ml single cream
• A knob of unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the wild garlic oil

• 50 g fresh wild garlic leaves
• 100 ml neutral oil (e.g. sunflower oil)

Method

1. Blanch the wild garlic leaves for 10 seconds in boiling water, plunge them straight into ice water (this keeps that vibrant green colour) and squeeze out all the liquid. Blend the leaves with the oil into a smooth, green emulsion. Pass the oil through a fine sieve or coffee filter for a clear result.
2. Slice the leeks into neat 1 cm rings. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leek rings with a pinch of salt. Let them sweat gently for about 8 minutes with the lid on. The leeks should go butter-soft while the rings keep their shape.
3. Add the potato cubes to the leeks and pour in the stock. Bring gently to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through but keep a clear bite; we want to see the texture of the cubes on the plate.
4. Scoop out a small ladle of liquid and a few potato cubes. Blend this in a small blender or with an immersion blender together with the cream until smooth. Pour this creamy mixture back into the pan. You now have a beautifully bound soup while the potato cubes and leek rings are still clearly visible. (If you'd rather have a completely smooth soup, blend everything together with the cream.)
5. Gently place the reserved leek rings back into the soup so they stick out above the liquid. Finish with the vibrant green wild garlic oil.

Serving tip: serve with toasted sourdough bread and good-quality salted butter.

Variation tip: want an extra pop of colour and an extra bite? Blanch a handful of garden peas briefly in salted water and refresh them immediately in cold water. Scatter the peas on top of the soup just before serving for a fresh, sweet accent.