A nourishing bowl of goodness that is family friendly and packed full of nutrients. This warming soup is a regular favourite in our home, especially on a rainy day.

This is quite a flexible and forgiving recipe so you can throw in extra vegetables you may have lying around in your fridge…anything green works a treat! I’ve previously added a handful of broccoli or green beans into the soup, kale is also a nice alternative to the spinach, and cauliflower is a nice addition also.

Tip: I like to keep the skins on the carrots and potatoes because they are rich in fibre and once you blend the soup to a creamy consistency you will never notice them.

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek (or 2-3 smaller leeks), green parts removed, chopped
4 potatoes, washed and chopped into 2cm pieces
4 cloves garlic
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 zucchinis, chopped
1-2 cups baby spinach, washed well
1L stock or broth of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat then add the leek. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened.

Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring continuously.

Add potatoes and carrots and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Finally, throw in the chopped zucchinis and then pour in the stock.

You want the stock to only just cover the vegetables – depending on the size of your pot and vegetables you may need to reduce stock quantity or top with some extra water. The liquid affects how thick your soup will be (add more for a runnier soup, less for a thicker soup).

Turn up the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft (e.g you can easily squash the potato and carrot with a wooden spoon).

Stir in the baby spinach and take off the heat.

Blend the soup to a creamy consistency and it’s ready to eat!

You can top with a sprinkle of toasted seeds, a drizzle of cream or yoghurt or you can add my favourite topping in the upgrade below:

Recipe Upgrade

In a pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add

• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/2-1 cup green beans
• 1 Tablespoon Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Pan fry everything on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes

Serve atop the soup and finish with a sprinkle of crumbled feta.