Tip: Olive oil can be used for both hot and cold soups but butter can only be used for hot soups. This is because if you use it for cold soup the butter congeals and gets stuck on the roof of your mouth.
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil or butter
1 cup onion chopped
1 cup potato, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
3 cups chopped vegetables of your choice (eg carrots, celery, parsnip)
4 cups stock and milk mixture or water
Recipe continues
METHOD
Sweat the onion and potatoes slowly in a saucepan in olive oil or butter until the potato just starts to stick to the bottom.
Add the rest of the vegetables and stock, bay leaf and thyme and simmer until the vegetables are soft.
Taste the soup to check if seasoning is needed.
Spoon into bowls and serve hot.
Variations: add tinned tomatoes, white beans from a can, a glass of white wine, undyed smoked haddock, watercress, etc.