G A P's Veggie Soup

To kick off with, the simplest no nonsense recipe for a good pot of winter warming soup. It comes out looking like Autumn. I alter it sometimes with the seasons, but not much because my method is, that once I have devised a recipe that works, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This may look like it's trouble to prepare but the more you make it the quicker it gets. Trust me!

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes diced
1 large onion finely chopped
4 good sized carrots diced
1 large or two medium leeks chopped smallish
1 stick of celery (not one stem, whole stick) sliced smallish
1 tin tomatoes
1.5 pints of boiling water
1 chicken or veg stock cube
dried thyme ( I like a teaspoon)
dried parsley
1 tsp salt
10 turns of black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

Method:

1. Put olive oil in large pan to heat
2. Soften onion
3. Add pots and carrots, add dried herbs, put lid on and sweat on low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add leeks and celery, give a good stir
5. Add tomatoes
6. Add stock cube to boiling water, dissolve and pour over veggies.
7. Season
8. Bring up to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes to an hour.
9. Liquidise in a blender.
10. Ready now to reheat and serve with hot crusty bread.