This is a simple soup and is a wonderfully bright green colour if you serve it immediately (or chill it quickly if you are going to save for later). It’s a great source of vitamin C and fibre – gram per gram, broccoli has nearly twice the vitamin C as an orange.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 sticks of celery, chopped
500g broccoli, end of stalk removed, then stalk and florets chopped
100g fresh spinach, chopped if large leaves
olive oil
1.2 litres broth or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
75g chopped, roasted hazelnuts to garnish
Method
Pour a glug of olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium heat and cook the onion, garlic and turmeric until they soften. Don’t allow the onion or garlic to brown. Add the celery and cook for another 5 minutes, then season.
Add the chopped broccoli stalk and the stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for 2-3 minutes before adding the chopped broccoli head and simmering for another 2-3 minutes. You want to cook it for as short a time as possible, until it is very nearly tender.
Add the spinach and cook for another couple of minutes, then blend immediately, either in a liquidiser or with a stick blender.
If you are not serving immediately, cool in a bowl set in another larger bowl of iced water to preserve the fresh green colour.
Serve with a small handful of hazelnuts.
