German Cheese & Leek Soup with Mince

Hello, lovely readers, I hope you are having a good week. I have another yummy recipe to share with you today. Soup Season is upon us, and whilst we love ourselves some nice and healthy Autumnal vegetable soups in our family – like my Butternut Squash Soup from the other day – sometimes the dreich Autumn weather just calls for a big bowl full of cheesy goodness. Yes, that’s right, cheese soup! I came across this dish while we were living in Berlin, and tried recreating it at home. After a few attempts, I think I’ve got the balance just right (my husband thinks so anyway). I was a bit sceptical at first whether the kids would eat this, given it’s chock full of leeks and they haven’t been too keen on those in the past, but they love it! Well, the little one sometimes loves it and sometimes won’t touch it, but I think that’s more to do with his mood than the soup. The big one was fighting me over the left overs the next day the last time we had it, lol. Anyway, if you want to try it for yourselves, scroll down for the recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 500g minced beef
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 3 large leeks
• 1 litre vegetable stock (or 1 litre of water + stock powder)*
• 500ml coconut milk
• 250g ‘Schmelzkäse’ cheese spread, e.g. Dairylea or The Laughing Cow
• Salt & Pepper

* If, like me, you need your soup to be gluten free, remember to check the ingredients of your stock!

Directions

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and fry the minced beef together with the paprika powder, until the mince starts to brown.
• Top and tail the leeks, wash thoroughly and slice, then add to the mince and fry for 2-3 minutes until it starts to go soft.
• Turn down the heat a little. Add the vegetable stock, cover the saucepan leaving the lid just a crack open, and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until the slices of leek have all mostly fallen apart (you may want to cook it for less than that and leave a few bigger chunks of leek, but my kids prefer it like this).
• Add the coconut milk and heat through, then add the cheese bit by bit making sure it’s fully melted and mixed in.
• Season with salt & pepper (I usually add hardly any salt, as I find it salt enough through the vegetable stock and cheese).
• Serve with crusty bread or fresh rolls.