Leek, fennel & potato soup with cashel blue cheese

Cheesy fennel gratins and my mum’s leek & potato soup are two of my favourite things, and I’ve combined them in this recipe. I like to use cashel blue here; another blue cheese would do but not roquefort – it’s too salty.

SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins COOK 45 mins EASY G

2 heads fennel

3 large leeks, trimmed, washed and finely sliced

60g butter

1 large potato, peeled and diced 900ml chicken stock or water 1 garlic clove, sliced

100ml double cream

5g walnuts, toasted

75g cashel blue cheese, crumbled

1 Quarter the fennel and discard the tough outer leaves and the hard core from each piece. Slice the rest of the flesh, including any little fronds.

2 Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the fennel, leeks and potato. Cook over a medium heat for about 5 mins, turning the vegetables over in the butter. The vegetables shouldn’t colour. Add a splash of water, cover the pan and cook the vegetables for 20 mins, stirring every so often. Add the stock or water and garlic, season, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and cover the pan with a lid or foil.

3 Cook for about 10-15 mins, until everything is completely tender. Stir in the cream and leave to cool. Purée in a blender until completely smooth. Check the seasoning and return the mixture to the saucepan – you can reheat it quickly just before serving. Ladle into bowls and scatter each one with the walnuts and cheese.

GOOD TO KNOW fibre • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 305 kcals • fat 23g • saturates 14g • carbs 11g • sugars 4g • fibre 6g • protein 11g • salt 0.9g