Ingredients

• 1.5 litres/2½ pints chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 large potatoes
• peeled
• chopped
• 4 carrots
• peeled
• grated
• 4 leeks
• trimmed
• cut in half lengthways
• finely sliced
• plus extra to serve
• 6 tbsp quick-cook oats
• 400g/14oz Cheshire cheese (preferably a mixture of white and blue)
• grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 loaf white bread
• thinly sliced into 12-16 slices
• 110g/4oz butter
• softened
• 300g/11oz Cheshire cheese
• thinly sliced into 6-8 slices
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small bunch watercress
• leaves only
• to serve

Directions

• For the Cheshire soup
• bring the stock to the boil. Add the potatoes and simmer for 4-5 minutes
• then add the carrots
• leeks and oats and continue to boil for a further 4-5 minutes
• or until the vegetables are tender.
• Using a potato masher
• carefully crush the vegetables in the pan until broken down.
• Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering. Add all of the cheese and stir until melted
• then season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the fried cheese sarnies
• spread one side of each slice of bread with a little of the butter. Sandwich each slice of cheese between two slices of bread
• buttered-sides facing outwards.
• Heat the remaining butter and all of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming
• add one of the cheese sandwiches and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides
• or until the bread is toasted and golden-brown on both sides and the cheese is starting to melt. Remove from the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat the process with the remaining cheese sandwiches.
• To serve
• ladle the Cheshire soup into six to eight serving bowls. Sprinkle over the sliced leeks and watercress. Cut the fried cheese sarnies into squares and serve alongside.