Slow cooker leek and potato soup recipe
 A simple and budget-friendly soup that freezes beautifully. Make it extra special by drizzling with a little cream and scattering chives or parsley on top. Serve with warm crusty bread and butter. Each serving (excluding cream and bread) provides 176 kcal, 4.4g protein, 22g carbohydrate (of which 9g sugars), 6.7g fat (of which 2.9g saturates), 5.7g fibre and 0.87g salt. 25g/1oz butter1 tbsp sunflower oil2 onions, chopped 4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced (around 700g/1lb 9oz prepared weight)3 potatoes (around 400g/14oz), peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks½ tsp dried mixed herbs1 litre/1¾ pints hot vegetable or chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube100ml/3½fl oz milk or single or double creamsalt and freshly ground black pepper2–3 tbsp double or single cream, to garnish (optional)chopped fresh chives or parsley, to garnishwarm crusty bread and butter, to serve 25g/1oz butter 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 onions, chopped 4 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced (around 700g/1lb 9oz prepared weight) 3 potatoes (around 400g/14oz), peeled and cut into roughly 2cm/¾in chunks ½ tsp dried mixed herbs 1 litre/1¾ pints hot vegetable or chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube 100ml/3½fl oz milk or single or double cream salt and freshly ground black pepper 2–3 tbsp double or single cream, to garnish (optional) chopped fresh chives or parsley, to garnish warm crusty bread and butter, to serve Method Melt the butter and oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and leeks for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until beginning to soften and lightly colour. Tip the onions and leeks into a slow cooker pot and add the potatoes, mixed herbs and stock. Season with salt and lots of pepper and stir well. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4–5 hours or low for 6–8 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender. Carefully remove the pot from the slow cooker and use a hand-held blender to blitz the soup until smooth – watch out for splashes. Stir in enough milk to reach your preferred consistency (see Tips). Generously season with more salt and pepper and ladle into six warmed bowls. Drizzle with the cream (if using), scatter the chives on top and finish with a final grind of black pepper, if preferred. Serve with the warm crusty bread and butter. Melt the butter and oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and leeks for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until beginning to soften and lightly colour. Melt the butter and oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onions and leeks for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until beginning to soften and lightly colour. Tip the onions and leeks into a slow cooker pot and add the potatoes, mixed herbs and stock. Season with salt and lots of pepper and stir well. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4–5 hours or low for 6–8 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender. Tip the onions and leeks into a slow cooker pot and add the potatoes, mixed herbs and stock. Season with salt and lots of pepper and stir well. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4–5 hours or low for 6–8 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender. Carefully remove the pot from the slow cooker and use a hand-held blender to blitz the soup until smooth – watch out for splashes. Stir in enough milk to reach your preferred consistency (see Tips). Carefully remove the pot from the slow cooker and use a hand-held blender to blitz the soup until smooth – watch out for splashes. Stir in enough milk to reach your preferred consistency (see Tips). Generously season with more salt and pepper and ladle into six warmed bowls. Drizzle with the cream (if using), scatter the chives on top and finish with a final grind of black pepper, if preferred. Serve with the warm crusty bread and butter. Generously season with more salt and pepper and ladle into six warmed bowls. Drizzle with the cream (if using), scatter the chives on top and finish with a final grind of black pepper, if preferred. Serve with the warm crusty bread and butter. Recipe tips As the soup will be extremely hot, there should be no need to reheat once the milk or cream is added. However, you can always return the pot to the slow cooker for an extra 10–15 minutes on high if necessary. You will need a slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints for this recipe. To freeze the soup, leave to cool completely then pour into sealable containers. Freeze for up to 4 months. Reheat from frozen in a microwave or allow to thaw thoroughly. Adjust the liquid by adding more milk or stock if necessary to reach your preferred consistency. If the soup is too thin, add a little cornflour mixed with water before reheating.