Potato & Leek Soup

PRIOR NOTE: ~ When nearly finished the soup - before adding the cream - If the soup looks a little too thin for you, you can simmer until thickened. If it's a little too thick, you can add more stock to thin it out. You may want to keep 1 cup stock aside for this

Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and the garlic and cook, stirring often (making sure they don't burn), until softened, about 5-8 minutes, turning down heat if needed, so as they don't brown or burn.

Step 2: Add the potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves and thyme, and bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potato is soft. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Step 3: Remove bay leaves, and puree the soup with a hand blender until the soup is smooth, do not over blend as soup tend to go starchy from the potato (or transfer one-third of the potato mixture to the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Repeat in 2 more batches with the remaining potato mixture.)

Step 4: Place the soup over a medium heat, (add the cheese if using ~ stirring to melt the cheese), add the cream and stir to combine. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until hot (do not boil)

Step 5: Taste and season (stirring through seasoning) with salt and pepper.

Step 6: Ladle the soup into serving bowls sprinkle with chives and serve.