English garden soup is amazing if you follow the recipe below but you can always go off piste and just throw in any vegetables you may have leftover in your fridge. Veggies are great but even better with some added protein to give you a more balanced meal that will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
English Garden Soup
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 1 large banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled & cut in half lengthways, seeds scooped out and discarded, flesh sliced into half-moons
- Large pinch freshly ground nutmeg
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper
- 220g fresh French beans
- 200ml fresh vegetable stock
- 1 soft-leaved round lettuce, core removed, leaves separated, core and leaves chopped
- 8 large sorrel leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Steps
- Step 1
Heat the butter in a pan over a low-to-medium heat. When foaming, add the shallot and garlic and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, or until softened but not coloured.
- Step 2
Add the cucumber and nutmeg, and season to taste. Stir well and continue to fry the mixture for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Step 3
Add the beans and stock to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 6-8 minutes, adding a little more stock as necessary to prevent the mixture from drying out, until the beans are tender.
- Step 4
Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend to a smooth puree.
- Step 5
Set aside to cool further. When the mixture has thoroughly cooled, add the lettuce leaves, lettuce core and the sorrel, and blend again until smooth.
- Step 6
Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
- Step 7
Whisk in the Greek yoghurt until well combined – serve hot or chill in the fridge until cold.
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By The Healthy Employee
- Servings: Serves 2
- Meals or Courses: LunchMainsStarter
- Dish Type: Soup
- Special Diet: Gluten freeVegetarian
- Seasons and Occasions: AutumnSpringSummerWinter
- Difficulty Level:
- Ratings:
- Created: September 13, 2010
