by Patrick Boniface

Created on: April 24, 2010

SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP

Soups have always been a staple in every cook’s recipe book. This delicious recipe combines some of the finest ingredients found in most gardens and closets and is also a rich source of vital healthy vitamins. To make this recipe it will take around twenty five minutes to prepare and no more than fifteen minutes to cook and serve.

INGREDIENTS

Two tablespoons of olive oil

One red finely chopped red onion

Two medium sized Desiree potatoes, which need to peeled and cut into cubes.

One litre or one and three quarter pints of chicken or vegetable stock

Two hundred grams of Tenderstem brocoli

One hundred and fifty grams or five ounces of frozen peas

One hundred grams or three and half ounces of spinach

Thirty grams of fresh finely chopped mint leaves

Fifty grams or two ounces of spring onions, which need to be sliced

Forty grams or one and half ounces of Parmesan cheese, which will need ot be finely grated.

Method

The first thing you will need to do for this recipe is to take the olive oil and heat it in a pan over a medium heat before adding in the chopped onion to soften up in the gentle heat. This should take no longer than about five minutes. Next take the diced potatoes to the heat and cook for another minute.

The next stage is to add the vegetable or chicken stock to the pan remembering to turn up the heat and allow the mixture to boil. Reduce the heat and then allow to simmer for around five minutes until the potato is cooked through.

Whilst the mixture is on the hob you can trim any tough ends from the tenderstem brocoli and then slice the stem in half lengthways to make batons and then add them to the pan together with the frozen peas and cook for another two minutes.

Remove from the heat and then add the spinach and mint before ladling into four soup bowls or if you are making the soup for later pour into a storage jar or container.

Scatter the spring onions and grated Parmesan cheese on top of the soup in the bowls, or alternatively a light dusting of black pepper will also enhance the flavor of this vegetable soup dish. To serve crusty bread is ideal perhaps with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.

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