Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 celery stick finely diced

½ white onion finely diced

1 small leek, finely dice

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

250ml vegetable stock

200g broccoli florets

1 slice of bread

Salt & black pepper

Drizzle of cream, optional

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the celery, leek, onion and garlic for a few minutes until cooked through.
2. Pour the vegetable stock into the pan and bring to the boil.
3. Add the broccoli florets, then bring back to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender.
4. To make the croutons, cut the bread into 1cm cubes and fry in 1 tbsp of olive oil, remove when lightly golden.
5. Remove from the heat, use a stick blender and blitz the contents of the saucepan into a fine puree.
6. Taste for seasoning. Add ground black pepper and some salt if needed.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of croutons.