Soup to make one proud

by MICHELLE VOLLEMAERE
I had what I call “a proud mother moment” recently. Darling Daughter, who is currently
residing in a student hostel in Wellington, sent me a text. Nothing remarkable in that.
She was spending a holiday in Nelson at the home of one of her new university friends.
She wanted me to do something for her.

Again, nothing remarkable about that,either! What was remarkable was the nature
of the request she sent: “txt yr rcipe 4 leek+potato soup.”
Now, Darling Daughter can bake like an angel, but she has never ever — at least not
voluntarily — made anything remotely resembling a meal. Partly because texting an entire
recipe was beyond my limited skills, and partly — mostly — because I was immensely
curious as to what had prompted this sudden interest in real food, I phoned her straight back.
“The people I’m staying with are vegetarian,” she explained, “and I want to cook them a meal to thank them for having me to stay. It’s cold down here and so I thought that if I could make your leek and potato soup, they might really like that.”
So, I gave her the recipe over the phone, told her how to adapt my soup, which uses chicken
stock, into a more authentic vegetarian version and suggested that she serve it with some camembert cheese and lots of crusty French bread.
Two days later she phoned me again, very pleased with herself, and with another request.
Could I please write out the recipe properly and send it. Her soup (her soup?) had been such a success with her hosts that they wanted her to share her recipe and, best of all, in DD’s opinion, her Nelson friend had told her that she would be invited back “because no one had ever cooked for them before”!
So, for the Nelson vegetarians, and you, this proud mother shares her daughter’s recipe for Leek and Potato Soup. You’ll find it on the website and, just for good measure, I’ve included my recipe for another vegetarian soup — curried parsnip.
Recipes
Leek and potato soup
Making this is almost as simple as making mashed potatoes. Apart from the leek softening step, the technique is almost the same, but your final result will be a bit more liquid. I use floury potatoes because they are easier to mash. The quantities in this recipe will serve 8 people.
4 large white floury potatoes
2 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1 litre stock – vegetable or chicken
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
¼ cup cream (optional)
1Tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Trim and discard the tough, dark green tops and root ends from the leeks. Slice the remaining leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly in cold water to remove all grit and dirt. Slice finely.

Peel and finely slice garlic. Peel and dice the potatoes.
Slowly heat the oil and butter a large saucepan and add butter. When the butter has melted, first add the leeks, then the garlic. Sauté gently for about 5-10 minutes until the leek is soft, but not browned.
Add the diced potatoes and cover with stock. Add enough extra water to ensure they are well covered. The stock might already be salted so just add ¼ tsp salt and some pepper at this stage.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
Remove from the heat but don’t drain them. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Using a standard potato masher, mash the potatoes roughly into the stock.
Then using a hand-held blender carefully liquidise the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
Do a quick taste check and, if necessary, add more salt and pepper.
By hand stir in the milk and return to the heat. Reheat slowly, stirring constantly, but do not allow the soup to boil.
Serve with a swirl of cream, a scattering of chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.

Curried parsnip soup
This soup uses almost the same technique as the leek and potato. Even self-professed parsnip haters will enjoy this version, especially if they are curry lovers. Use any sort of curry powder or paste that you like but the madras or korma flavour will give a milder, more family-friendly curry taste. The quantities in this recipe will serve 4 people.
4-6 large parsnips
2 brown onions
1 litre stock – vegetable or chicken
1 tsp curry powder – or more according to preference
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
¼ cup cream (optional)
1Tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Peel and slice the parsnips and onions.

Slowly heat the oil and butter a large saucepan and add butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the curry powder and cook for a minute or so.
Add the onions and parsnips and cook for about 5 minutes in the curry.
Pour in the stock and add enough extra water to ensure they are well covered. The stock might already be salted so just add ¼ tsp salt and some pepper at this stage.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes until the parsnips are very soft and mashable.
Remove from the heat but don’t drain them. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Using a hand-held blender carefully liquidise the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
Check the taste and, if necessary, add more salt and pepper.
Stir in the milk and return to the heat. Reheat slowly, stirring constantly, but do not allow the soup to boil.
Serve with a swirl of cream, a scattering of chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.