Did you know that there are dozens of delicious recipes on the Flora website? (the broccoli and cauliflower pancakes sound especially gorgeous!) Today they’re kindly letting me share a recipe from their website – leek and potato soup!

Leek and potato soup is an utter classic, and there’s a reason for that. It’s thick and creamy (this version in particular!!), with beautiful flavours from the oniony leeks – and it’s healthy too! I love the addition of carrots in this recipe – they add an extra hit of vitamin C (very much needed in this cold weather!), and give the soup a lovely colour, without making the flavour hugely different from the classic version.

I did make a few small changes to the recipe on the Flora website. Firstly, I made a slightly smaller batch, since there are only two of us and I didn’t want to be eating soup for days on end (delicious though it was). I also added a few cloves of garlic, since I think there isn’t a single recipe in this world that isn’t improved by garlic.

(note: the above is definitely not true. I take no responsibility for people who add garlic to their cake mix)

The unbelievable creaminess of this soup is due to a technique that I’d not used before, involving a mixture of cornflour and milk. I usually use cream in my creamy soups (which is why I don’t make them very often!!) – I always assumed that milk would be a bit too thin, but with the addition of the cornflour, it works really well to make the soup super creamy (and it’s much healthier than actual cream too!). To be honest, the soup was quite creamy even without the milk+cornflour addition, but this took it over the edge to the omg-so-creamy kind of creamy. It’s definitely a technique I’ll be experimenting with again!

I don’t tend to use margarine very often in my cooking – I like a rich, creamy flavour, so I usually just stick to butter. However, the flavour of Flora Buttery is just the same as real butter (if I was a bit more shameless, I’d eat it with a spoon… maybe), and I really like how it’s soft and spreadable, even when you keep it in the fridge. The worst thing about real butter, in my opinion, is the way it goes rock solid in the fridge and ruins your bread when you try to spread it. This problem doesn’t exist with Flora Buttery! It’s definitely going to be making regular appearances on my shopping list from now on.

Print Extra creamy leek and potato soup Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 3 Ingredients 2 tbsp Flora Buttery

2 medium leeks halved lengthwise then sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

2 medium carrots sliced

3 medium potatoes diced

250 ml vegetable stock ~1 cup

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Black pepper

2 tbsp cornflour

500 ml milk ~2 cups

Fresh parsley optional, for serving Instructions Add the Flora Buttery to a large saucepan along with the leeks and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, until soft and fragrant.

Add the chopped carrots and potatoes to the pan, as well as the vegetable stock, thyme and plenty of black pepper. Don’t worry if the vegetables aren’t entirely submerged. Cover the pan, and bring to a gentle simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook for around 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

While the vegetables are simmering, dissolve the cornflour in the cold milk (I found this easiest using a whisk).

When the vegetables are soft, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, and add the milk mixture. Stirring regularly, cook over a gentle heat for a few more minutes until the soup has thickened up to your desired consistency. Check the seasoning (I added a lot more black pepper!), and serve topped with fresh parsley if desired. Author: Becca Heyes

Here’s another creamy yet healthy soup recipe for you: creamy tomato soup with basil pine nut crumb (in just 15 minutes!)