Autumn Vegetable Soup

I'm much more of a winter foodie than summer, and these fresh bright autumn days make me yearn for soup for lunch! We're also getting the first of the winter vegetables like leeks, so I was going to make a leek and potato soup but I just kept throwing things in!

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed
• 200 g small waxy potatoes, quartered
• 6 carrots, cut into smallish chunks
• 1 tin of white beans
• 500 ml good vegetable stock
• Handful of frozen peas
• 2 tsp dill

1. Splosh oil and a knob of butter in a large pan and gently fry the onion for a minute or two.
2. Add the leeks and sweat them on a medium heat til they've cooked down a little and intensified their flavour. Don't let them burn, burnt leeks taste nasty.
3. Add the potatoes and carrots and cover with the vegetable stock. Add more water if the vegetables aren't quite covered.
4. Cook for about 15-20 until the potatoes are done.
5. Add the beans, peas and dill, and cook for another 5 mins.
6. At the end I give it a brief whizz with a hand blender - enough to break up a few of the vegetables but leaving most of them chunky.
7. Check for seasoning and consistency. I like a thick chunky soup but add more water if it's too thick.
8. Serve in a bowl with a dollop of plain yoghurt.