This soup is one of those happy accidents, when what's lurking in the bottom of the fridge actually ends up making something quite tasty!
I had decided to attempt to make a soup with some rather floppy tenderstem broccoli, and then I found half a bag of wilted rocket and thought I'd throw that in too!
As the rocket is stirred in just before blending, it adds an attractive dark green fleck through the soup and a lovely peppery flavour that really compliments the broccoli.
This is a really easy soup to tweak so if you don't have rocket, then throw in spinach or salad leaves that have gone past their best. And if you don't have tenderstem broccoli, then regular broccoli and broccoli stalk will do just as well!
2 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil.
1 small or 1/2 a large white onion
2 sticks of celery
1 leek
180 -200g Maris Piper potato
200g tenderstem broccoli (or broccoli and broccoli stalk)
60-100g rocket (or spinach/salad leaves)
800ml vegetable stock
Seasoning
- Dice the onion.
- Cut the celery sticks in half lengthways and then slice.
- Slice the leek into 1-2 cm pieces.
- Peel and dice the potatoes.
- Chop up the broccoli including the stems.
- Heat the oil in the bottom of a medium to large pan.
- When the oil is up to temperature, add the onion and celery and cook over a low heat until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the potato, leek and broccoli and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring all of the time.
- Add the stock and seasoning and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the rocket.
- Blend the soup and once it has cooled down a little, taste and adjust the seasoning.
