Simple spring soup

Sometimes a quick an easy 10 minute soup is exactly what you need! This one is fresh and green, light and creamy and perfect to welcome spring…we’ve had a few days of sunshine these last few days so though I hesitate to say it…I think spring may have arrived!!

This soup topping was inspired by this photo that I’d posted on Instagram a week or so ago. It was a simple root vegetable soup my mum cooked up and then because there was some cauliflower to use up and because I wanted to jazz things up a bit I roasted some cauliflower florets to throw on top along with some kale chips (I had the last few crumbs of tub of Inspiral Kale chips left over).

Obviously this spring soup has a totally different base, but I needed a quick snack…and this soup was a 10 minute option, faster than the original root veg version and also much more seasonal! Chop the cauli florets nice and small and they will be lightly roasted in the time it takes your soup to cook.

I had a go at making my own kale chips this time round. I used my new Sedona dehydrator (still getting the hang of it) and they turned out pretty good, but not yet worthy of a recipe in their own right. If you fancy adding some crispy kale there are loads of recipes out there in blog world, but the generally concept is to massage a little oil into a bowl of chopped kale, mix through a few spices (I also added some nutritional yeast) and then lay evenly on a baking sheet and bake on low until crispy (or dehydrate for 2-3 hours).

Recipe: spring soup

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup each: frozen peas, grated courgette and spinach (packed)

1 onion

2 tsp almond/cashew butter to make creamier (optional)

500ml vegetable stock

Topping:

1 cup roasted cauliflower (or broccoli) chopped into small florets

1 tsp coconut/olive oil

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Crispy kale chips (optional)

Method:

Saute the onion for approx. 5 minutes until softening.

Meanwhile prepare the cauliflower/broccoli and mix through with the oil and herbs. Spread in an even layer of a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until golden.

Once the onion has softened, add the peas and courgette with the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for a further two minutes. Add the nut butter if using before blending with a hand blender until smooth.

Serve the soup with the roasted cauliflower on top and sprinkle over crispy kale chips if desired.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.