Leek Potato and Butter Bean Soup

I just love soup and this recipe developed from me having a rummage in the cupboard and fridge one day. The best soups are from whatever is leftover and to be used up! This soup varies at times to include some broccoli, a handful of frozen peas, cannellini beans, just whatever is handy to add to the leek and potato to bulk it out and make it more filling.

So another day, another soup recipe. Quite often in this soup, I’d use a little fresh dill, but I don’t have any in, and I’m also loving some of the lovely autumnal flavours of tarragon, Thyme and sage just now.

This was made in around 20 minutes, no faffing about and tasted fab. I could have used a roux today for that extra creamy taste, but instead just used a potato masher to break up some of the soup and added around 100ml of milk once it finished cooking, and it tastes lovely. This is another meal in a bowl and perfect for lunches or after school/work for a healthy, hearty quick meal.

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes – 22p – washed, skin on and diced
• 1 leek, rinsed and chopped – 50p
• 1/4 leftover onion, sliced (negligible)
• 3 finely sliced leaves of a Savoy cabbage (negligible)
• 1 tin butter beans – 45p
• 2 l veg stock – 40p
• Sprinkle each of paprika, parsley, tarragon, onion salt, sage, thyme, salt and white pepper – negligible but costing 5p from stores)
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 100ml milk – 10p

Method

As usual, I prep as I go, so I popped the onions into a heavy-based pan with a teeny spray of oil and some stock to sautée, then adding in the leeks and adding the potatoes and more stock as I went.

Bring to a boil and add in the sliced cabbage, herbs and seasoning, then reduce to a simmer for around 15 minutes or until the veg is softened.

Add in half the tin of butter beans and use a potato masher to break up some of the vegs, then stir well and add in the remaining butter beans, the milk, and let stand with the lid on for around 5 mins off the heat to let the beans warm through.

We’ve just had this with more part-baked bread for a hearty lunch ☺️.

The entire pot cost £1.82 and was really thick. It did 8 decent portions, costing around 22p each, but adding in a little extra water would stretch this to 10 bowls if you prefer a thinner soup at around 18p a bowl.

Was lovely and will be back on the menu soon. The teen is going to have this for his ‘first dinner’ tonight with warm bread and butter to keep him alive while he waits for his ‘proper dinner’… whatever that is tonight 😂