Brussel Sprouts! Do those two words make you want to run screaming from the room? They do huh? Well then this recipe probably isn't the recipe for you. They were the sole reason for making this recipe for me. Because I am one of those strange people that love sprouts. I can eat them raw in a salad...steamed in a bowl with nothing else...on the side of a veggie roast..almost anyway they come really...except when they have been boiled to mush or cooked with bacon..naturally! I have horrible memories of my Step-Grandmothers Sunday lunches with a pile of green gunge that was formerly known as sprouts. lol. Not good. But I have found with sprouts..for me anyway...it's how they are cooked that determines how much I enjoy them. Along with broccoli I could eat them for every meal...every day and never tire of them. Does this make me strange...well if so..I'm used to that lol.
I was flicking through a very old cookbook from my cook book library..one my Aunt bought me when I first left home. So it's 23 years old..lol. Yikes I think I felt my bones seizing up! lol.
I found this Gardener's Broth Soup recipe and it had the most beautiful photo and I scanned the list of ingredients and had them all so I set about making it. It's very simple to make but I omitted the double (heavy) cream/soy cream so it maybe wasn't as creamy as it should be but it was still a steaming hot bowl of green goodness and I enjoyed it massively. Another soup that will be made regularly. However not for My Love..sadly..who loves sprouts but they don't reciprocate the love..if you know what I'm saying..Ahem..lol.
I cannot give credit where it's due and you know I hate that because it's from a generic mass produced 'Vegetarian Cooking' cookbook with no author name..just the publisher. So if it's your recipe..I thank you!
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| Gardener's Broth _ A delicious steaming bowl of green goodness! |
Gardener's Broth Serves 4
1 tbsp rapeseed or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves,grated
1 large leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
250g/8oz of brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
125g/4oz french or runner beans, trimmed and sliced
1.1 litres/2 pints/5 cups of veggie stock
125g/4oz/3/4 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp coriander leaves - fresh or dried
4 tbsp soya cream (optional)
salt and black pepper to season
Heat the oil in a soup pan and then saute the onion and garlic until they soften but have not browned.
Add the leeks, sprouts and beans to the pan and saute for another 4 minutes. Then add the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the frozen peas, the seasonings and the lemon juice and coriander and continue cooking at a simmer for a further 10-15 minutes. Cool the soup a little and then blend until smooth.
Return the soup to the pan and reheat for a further 5 minutes and add the cream if using. Serve.
Enjoy!
~R~
