This is a Hairy Bikers recipe and celebrates our local cheese, Cheshire cheese! I have experimented with this soup and made it into a cauliflower and Cheshire cheese soup by just swapping some of the potatoes with a cauliflower. It is delicious either way and is even nicer with cheese on toast on the side!
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
1.5 litres/2½ pints chicken or vegetable stock
3 large potatoes, chopped OR a small-medium cauliflower head, leaves removed and chopped and 1 potato
4 carrots, chopped
4 leeks, trimmed, cut in half lengthways, finely sliced
6 tbsp quick-cook oats
400g/14oz Cheshire cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
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For the Cheshire soup, bring the stock to the boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 4-5 minutes, then add the carrots, leeks and oats and continue to boil for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. If doing the cauliflower version just add all the vegetables in together at the same time.
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Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Add all of the cheese and stir until melted, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients together in the pan until you have a thick and smooth soup consistency. Ladle into bowls and serve.
