Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and cubed
• 1 large leek, washed, and chopped
• 1.5kg/3lb potatoes, peeled and chopped
• Half a head of sweetheart cabbage, sliced
• 1 tablespoon marjoram
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
• A small piece of German sausage, to garnish (optional)
• Fresh parsley

Directions

1. Put the onion, celery, leek and carrots into a large saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened.
2. For the slow cooker/crock pot version, transfer the vegetables into your slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
3. Pour over the stock cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on a low heat setting or 4-5 hours on a higher heat setting.
4. If you are cooking the soup on the stovetop, add the potatoes and cabbage to the partly cooked vegetables, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Pour over the stock, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
5. Make sure the vegetables are always covered with stock; adding a cupful of extra water if necessary during cooking.
6. Check that the potatoes are soft. At this stage, you can either serve the soup as it is, or else gently mash some of the vegetables and add them back on, or puree the soup with a stick blender.
7. To garnish, finely slice the German sausage and fry it gently in a small frying pan.
8. Serve the soup with the sausage and a sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley.