What's for lunch? How to make leek and potato soup and the best Irish brown bread

Nourishing food doesn’t have to be complicated. Try these simple yet scrumptious recipes

Soup and brown bread is a simple but delicious lunch. 

When I need to replenish my tank, I inevitably make a big pot of soup. It serves two purposes, nourishing my vegetable-hating children and me. As the cold weather approached this week, I whipped up a batch of simple yet delicious leek and potato soup and paired it with my homemade brown bread. 

This meal, using vegetables grown locally and bread made with Macroom Stoneground Wholewheat Flour and Irish buttermilk, was perfect for the freezing weather and reminded me that we do not need to source food from far away to eat exceptionally well in this country. How lucky are we? 

Leek & Potato Soup

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

An easy meal - with locally-sourceable ingredients.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 50g butter

• 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 2 onions, sliced

• 4 leeks, washed well and sliced

• 750ml vegetable stock

• 250ml milk

• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter and stir in the vegetables. Turn the heat down to low, clamp on a lid and sweat for ten minutes until the vegetables have softened. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Bubble gently for fifteen minutes.

2. Stir in the milk and cook for five more minutes. Once cooled slightly blend with an immersion blender or in a jug blender until super smooth. To get ultra-silky soup, blend for at least five minutes - much longer than you may think. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Ciara's Brown Bread

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

Our food editor's foolproof recipe for an Irish staple - makes two loaves.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 600g brown flour

• 100g self-raising flour

• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 pint buttermilk

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp golden syrup

• Chopped chives (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line two loaf tins.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to make sure they are well combined. Melt the butter and golden syrup together. Fold in the buttermilk, followed by the butter and golden syrup mixture and chives if using. The mixture should drop off the spoon.

3. Spoon into loaf tins and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and slice when cold.