Broccoli and pesto soup

‘Oh my word!’ and ‘Wow, this is incredible’ were the sentiments around the table after the first mouthful of this delicious soup. Even the non-broccoli eater was licking the bowl.

I’ve never made or eaten a soup with such explosive tastes. It starts with a smooth creamy-broccoli flavour then bursts into notes of basil, pepper and garlic. I’m well chuffed with this one. You have to try it!

You’ll need: (serves two well)
3 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and sliced
500ml vegetable stock (Kallo
Organic stock cubes are my favourite)
Olive oil
400g broccoli, roughly chopped (I used organic broccoli, I love the strong flavour)
Fresh pouring cream
Basil pesto (store bought is fine or make your own)

Here’s how:
Heat a good dollop of olive oil in a pan and saut your leeks, garlic and potatoes until the leeks soften and start to brown. Transfer them into a decent size pot and add the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, put a lid on and walk away for about 20 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and starting to dissolve.

Now get your broccoli ready. All we want to do here is steam it until it goes a vibrant green and softens a bit. We want to retain that gorgeous colour and not have it turning brown. You can do it in a steamer or by placing your broccoli in a small pot with a tiny bit of water at the bottom. Bring the water to simmer and put the lid on for two to three minutes. Or you can do it in a microwave on high power (if you approve of them) for about two minutes in a covered bowl with a drop of water.

Put the broccoli in the soup and add a bit of water. This is what will determine the consistency of your soup. If you like a nice thick soup like I do, then don’t add much but more if you like it thinner. Give it about a minute then remove from the heat.

Pure the soup with a hand blender in the pot (or a normal blender will do). Serve in small bowls drizzled with cream, a big dollop of pesto in the middle and fresh bread on the side. Fabulous!

Yours in food
Leigh

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