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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

1. Heat the butter or lard in a large pan.
2. Place the vegetables, parsley and onion in the pan and fry until the onion becomes transparent.
3. Add the potatoes and enough stock to cover all the vegetables.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well and cook until the potatoes are tender all the way through and almost cooked.
5. Remove about a third of the potatoes from the pot.
6. Mash the remaining two-thirds of the potatoes and put into the pot to thicken the soup.
7. 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 fry: cook in hot fat.

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.