Seasonal Recipes: Cream of Spring Vegetables

Recipe of the month.

#healthy #delicious #quick #seasonal

15 mins prep and 30 mins cooking time.

Why a cream of vegetables? With the abundance of luscious fresh vegetables available right now, it would be rude not to!

Sure, you can buy it ready-made or frozen, but it does not deliver a fraction of the flavour, nutrition and aroma that the fresh version offers.

Pick your favourite selection of seasonal vegetables – any variation of the following is good (serves 2): 3 courgettes, 2 leeks, 250 gr peas, 2 red peppers, 4 or 5 celery stalks, a bag of swiss chard (spinach is fine too), fresh herbs like basil or parsley and a clove of garlic. You will need a tin of chick peas or butter beans, a carton of passata or a tin of tomatoes, some good olive oil (extra virgin is best), salt and pepper. For the garnish I suggest crème fraiche and pesto.

Method: wash, chop and slice the vegetables (more fun if done to the tune of your favourite music; Beethoven’s pastoral symphony works for me!). Soften the chopped leeks and garlic in some olive oil. Add the veg selection and stir fry for a few minutes. Add a spoonful of tomato paste and a tin of tomatoes or a carton of passata, salt and pepper to taste and some fresh herbs – basil or parsley are perfect. Add hot water to cover the veg and lower the heat, simmer gently with a lid on for 20 minutes to half an hour, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon and adding a little water if the soup gets too dry.

Once cooked through, you can puree with an immersion mixer and serve with an elegant swirl of crème fraiche, a few drops of pesto/flavoured oil, a sprinkle of parmesan, a few basil leaves as a garnish, alongside some freshly toasted croutons or just a couple of slices of toasted and buttered sourdough. So nice it ought to be naughty – but it isn’t!! Easy.

Bon appetit!

PS See our Instagram video