Check out this healthy, filling vegetable and bacon chowder recipe. Warming and delicious - perfect for a healthy lunch
This soup is packed full of healthy, filling vegetables that will fuel your winter walk – but it also tastes rather luxurious thanks to a dash of cream added at the end.
Keep it vegetarian by omitting the bacon lardons and perhaps adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika in their place.
Melt the butter over a low heat and sweat the leeks, with the lardons for about 10 minutes until it is slightly softened.
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute before adding the potato, carrot and sweetcorn, stirring well to mix.
Stir through the thyme and pour in the milk, stock and wine, before seasoning with a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Bring the mix up to the boil, lower the heat a little and simmer steadily for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and tender. Towards the end of cooking, I like to use a potato masher to lightly break up some of the vegetables a little and thicken the soup slightly. Turn off the heat and stir through the cream and the parsley.
Pour into food flasks while piping hot, or chill ready for reheating on your walk.
Gill Meller
