Italian-style courgette and parmesan soup

This is the best recipe for a glut of courgettes, hands-down. The creamy soup covers tender, diced pieces of courgette that add a contrasting texture.

Ingredients

60ml/2fl o extra virgin olive oil ! tbsp chopped garlic handful basil leaves "preferably #talian$, chopped sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste !%g/2&lb green courgettes, cut lengthways into 'uarters then into !cm/(in slices )*0ml/!& pint chic%en stoc% 60ml/2fl o single cream handful flatleaf parsley, chopped *0g/2o freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

To serve

crusty bread green salad

salt and freshly ground blac% pepper

Preparation method
!. +eat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. 2. ,oo% the garlic, basil, salt and courgette slowly for !0 minutes, or until the courgettes are lightly browned and softened. -. .dd white pepper, to taste, then pour in the stoc% and simmer for / minutes, uncovered. 0emove from the heat. 1. 2ut three-'uarters of the soup mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. *. 0eturn the mixture to the pan and stir in the cream, parsley and parmesan. 6. To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground blac% pepper. 3prin%le over more parmesan, to taste. 3erve with crusty bread and a green salad.

By Neil Perry
From Saturday Kitchen

#n 3eason

Less than 30 mins preparation time 10 to 30 mins cooking time Ser es !

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2tbsp butter ! onion, finely diced - medium courgettes >inely grated est and 6uice of ( a lemon -00g "!0(o $ peas ! .2 litres "2 pints$ hot vegetable stoc% . small handful of mint leaves 6tbsp single cream >or the ,heddar straws -*0g "!2o $ pac% ready-rolled puff pastry 6tbsp finely grated ,heddar cheese 2tsp smo%ed papri%a

.+-"/,
2reheat the oven to 200?,/fan !/0?,/gas 6. @arm a large pan over a medium heat. .dd the butter and onion and fry for !0 minutes. Arate the courgettes and place 1tbsp in a bowl with the lemon est and 6uice. 3et aside. #n a pan, stir-fry the peas and remaining courgettes for 2-- minutes. .dd stoc% and onion and bring to boil. ,oo% for !0-!2 minutes and remove from heat. 3hred the mint leaves and add to the pan with the cream. 4lend until smooth and season. 0eturn to the heat. 7nroll the pastry, scatter over half the cheese and papri%a, then fold in half. <n a floured surface, roll to the thic%ness of a B! coin. ,ut !cm "(in$ strips, then twist these --1 times. Cay on a ba%ing sheet, scatter the remaining cheese and papri%a over and ba%e for !2 minutes. Cadle the soup into bowls with the courgettes. 3erve with the cheese straws.