Ingrid van den Arend

Soup, serves 4. Preparation time approx. 20 minutes.

• 550 grams of firm potatoes
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 100 grams of sliced bacon
• 1.5 litres of vegetable stock (or 3 stock cubes)
• salt, freshly-ground pepper
• 16 big slices of traditionally-baked bread
• 125 grams of grated cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Peel the potatoes and cut into not too small cubes. Peel the cloves of garlic. Heat a big saucepan and fry the slices of bacon on a moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan. Lower the heat. Press out the garlic into the pan and gently fry in the bacon fat for 1 minute. Add the stock. Bring to the boil. Add the potato and cook for about 7 minutes until firm but done. Season the stock with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread (under the grill or in a toaster). Break the bread into pieces and divide them onto 4 plates. Ladle the soup over the bread and immediately sprinkle with the grated cheese. Put bacon and parsley on top.

Tip: Put the plates or bowls briefly under the grill so the cheese melts even better.

Ingrid van den Arend