• 1 leek
• 4-6 medium sized carrots
• 2 russet potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock – sort of cheat and throw one of these in the pot, then pour in 2 1/2 cups of hot water
• a dollop of butter (some butter, like the amount that fills a soup spoon to overflowing) if I had to put a number on it, 2 tablespoons
• 1 lemon
• Big pinch of thyme
• some cream, to taste, I put in 1/4 c
• some nutmeg – I put in a small pinch

1. clean the leek and cut it into smallish (1/2″) bits, only the white and tenderest parts. The tough dark green part goes into the compost.
2. Melt the butter in the bottom of the pot and drop the leeks in there. Let them soften for maybe 5 minutes. While they are doing that:
3. peel and cut the carrots and potatoes into similarly smallish pieces. About the time you are done the peeling and dicing, the leeks should be soft and you can just throw the carrots and potatoes into the pot.
4. add the stock (or, as alluded to above, the stock gelatinous cube and 2 1/2 cups of water) and the thyme. DO NOT ADD SALT. The stock will most likely have close to enough salt in it already and you can’t taste at this point, so don’t add salt.
5. Simmer for 20, 30 minutes until the biggest carrot bits are soft.
6. Blenderate the shit out of it – I used an immersion blender, but pouring it into a food processor or blender would work fine.
7. once the soup is smooth and velvety, put it back in the pot and squeeze the lemon into it. Add the nutmeg, and then stir in the cream a tablespoon at a time until it tastes right. Don’t ask me how to tell, it just tastes right, which is to say sweet and savoury and with a nice mouth-feel.
8. Add salt if it needs it – to my taste, this only needed 1/2 tsp or so, and wouldn’t have been too bland without any added. Grind in some black pepper, again maybe 1/2 tsp but for gods sake if you want more put it in, and serve.

This is beautiful served in a plain white bowl. As I mentioned, it’s thick and beautiful yellow-orange and it appeals to all your senses – velvety and a little hint of silky milkfat, sweet and savoury and fragrant and wonderful to the eye.

Recommended.