Top and tail all vegetables where necessary. Click here for information on Top and Tailing.

You will need:

• 1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped.
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped.
• 1 leek well washed, then cut into half inch rings.
• 3 medium sized carrots, peeled, and cut into small pieces.
• 2 sticks of celery, cut into half inch pieces.
• 1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into small rings.
• A handful of frozen peas.
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks, about eight pieces per potato.
• About 1 and a half pts, just under a litre, warm water.
• A quarter of a pt, 5 fl.oz cold milk, either full fat or skimmed (its your choice).
• 2 tbsps, 30 ml, cooking or olive oil.
• 2 vegetable oxo or stock cubes.
• 2 sachets of bouquet garni herbs (optional).
• 1 tbsp, 15 ml, corn flour.
• a little salt and pepper to taste.

1. First put all the prepared vegetables and the frozen peas, into a large saucepan, add the oil and
   a little salt and pepper. Using a long-handled spoon, fry them gently
   for about two to three minutes, turning them over to coat them in the oil. Cover the pan with a lid and continue to fry
   on a fairly low heat for about ten minutes so that all the flavours combine.
   This is called sweat frying.
2. While the veg are softening in the pan, crumble two vegetable stock cubes into a large jug and
   add the warm water and stir until dissolved.
3. Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the stove on to a heat resistant board or worktop, carefully pour in the stock, making sure
   that the vegetables are covered, you may need to add a little more water at
   this point. Add the herbs, cover the
   pan with the lid again, return it to
   the heat and bring the soup to the boil, stirring occasionally to prevent
   the vegetables from sticking.
4. Simmer the soup for 35 to 40 minutes by which time the vegetables will be slightly tender when tested
   with a fork, do not overcook or the soup will not retain its chunky texture
5. Put the cold milk into a jug and add the corn flour, stir until blended together. Add this when the soup is almost cooked,
   stirring immediately to thicken.
6. Continue to stir for about another minute to cook the
   corn flour through.

The milk will add a lovely creamy texture to the soup.

Serve straight away with warm crusty garlic bread.

This soup is served as a main course and should provide
three to four generous helpings.

Soup is a very traditional Winter dish here in England when many of the root vegetables are in
plentiful supply.