Lea Hogg

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of fresh soup.  I use broccoli and my soup today is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and has no added fat apart from a drizzle of olive oil but the result is surprisingly creamy and delicious. The broccoli is from our garden, very fresh and at its peak. I learnt a trick recently to twist the stalk just before harvest so that some of the roots are broken and this will leave a young and tender crop and prevent it from toughening up and becoming yellowish. I used all the leaves in the soup. It is a waste otherwise as they are tender and full of Vitamin A and C. Garnish with a blue cheese if you like it but this is optional and you can leave out. I love a classic Stilton.

You will need :

A drizzle of olive oil
1 head of fresh broccoli with leaves, roughly chopped
A bunch of flat leaf parsley, stalks removed
A pinch on nutmeg, minimal
1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Stilton, quantity to suit your preference

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in broccoli and immerse in water. if you like to add stock or a stock cube do, i used water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and leave to cool slightly. Add the raw parsley and blend to a smooth consistency. I used a hand blender.
Return to the saucepan, and reheat. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Garnish with a couple of small stilton cubes.

My fresh vegetables and fruit come from Big Fresh.  Kitchenware by Tescoma.