This simple ‘caldo de verduras’ or vegetable soup reminds me of my childhood. Whenever we were feeling under the weather, my mum would make this. I make enough soup for 3 or 4 days and it saves me the cooking the next day. You can add whatever vegetables you have and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 4 people)

• 1 white onion chopped
• 3 leeks sliced into 3cm pieces
• 4-5 carrots peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces
• 2 medium sized potatoes peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 vegetable stock cube (bouillon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Gently fry the onions over medium heat in the olive oil for about 2 minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add the potatoes and the carrots, followed by water (i tend to add enough to cover the vegetables by about 10-15 cm but you can add as much water as you like).
3. Dissolve the stock cube in the soup, mix and cover the pot. Leave to simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the leeks to the soup as well as salt and pepper, then leave to cook for a further 5-6 minutes until the potatoes and the carrots are cooked but still firm. Adjust these timings as you wish.
5. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and more salt and pepper if required.