Spring Delights – Garden Soup

Here’s the last of the current batch of spring recipes I’ve been delighting in lately – this one is quick, easy and a lovely way to use up some of the garden pests that run riot!

Ingredients:

A double handful at least each of nettle tops, ground elder young shoots, jack by the hedge, and if you have them, young cleavers and chickweed tops.

Vegetable stock

One finely chopped onion or leek

Butter or oil to cook the onion in.

Salt to taste – why not use the Salt of the Earth blend mentioned previously?

Cream or soft cheese

Instructions:

Gather the herbs and check them as you do for any pests or marks.  Discard any that don’t look perfectly healthy.  In the kitchen, chop the onion or leek and sweat it gently in the oil or butter until it has gone slightly translucent, then pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.   Add the herbs and cook for a couple of minutes until they have wilted into the liquid, then blend up the whole lot in the food processor or using a stick blender.  Add salt to taste, and lastly, pour in a trickle of cream and stir thoroughly.   This is a delicious and simple soup recipe that has a flavour reminiscent of watercress soup!  Enjoy it with home made bread and cheese or a little butter.