Smooth vegetable soup with bacon and feta cheese

Smooth vegetable soup with bacon and feta cheese
Ingredients
1 onion, roughly chopped ...
2 leeks, roughly chopped
2 celery spears, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 butternut, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp paprika
1.5 l vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste
bacon, fried till crispy, to serve
crumbled feta, to serve

Method
In a large pot, heat some olive oil and fry the onions, leeks and celery until soft and transparent.
Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Add all the vegetables and flavourings and allow to sauté for 5-10 minutes.
Add the stock and reduce the heat.
Cover the pot and allow to simmer gently for 30-45 minutes.
When the vegetables are thoroughly cooked, remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup.
I use my handheld blender for this but you can also use a blender or food processor.
Season the soup to taste and serve with the bacon and feta sprinkled over