Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 2 tbsp butter or lard
- 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 leek, cleaned & chopped
- 3 sprigs parsley, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb potatoes, peeled, washed & diced
- 2 litres beef stock (or less)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (garnish)
Method
- Heat the butter or lard in a large pan.
- Place the vegetables, parsley and onion in the pan and fry until the onion becomes transparent.
- Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover all the vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and cook
until the potatoes are tender all the way through and
almost done. - Remove about a third of the potatoes from the pot.
- Mash the remaining two-thirds and return to the pot for thickening the soup.
- Reheat the soup. Test for seasoning, garnish with the 2 tbsp chopped parsley and serve.
Definitions
To chop: To cut food into small even-sized pieces using a knife or food processor.
To dice: cut small uniform cubes of any solid ingredient eg cheese or carrots, first cut the food into even-sized thick strips and then slice crosswise into cubes.
To mash: 
To break down a cooked ingredient such as potatoes into a smooth mixture using a potato masher or fork.
To peel: To remove the outer layer of a food.
To simmer: keep a liquid just below boiling point, usually in a pan on the hob, e.g. simmer the sauce until it starts to thicken.
To stir: To agitate an ingredient or a number of ingredients using a hand held tool such as a spoon.
