Simple, cheap and brilliant soup for winter or summer.
This is the perfect dish for those happy gardeners who want a quick and easy feast straight from their own vege patch.
Take vegetables, straight from the garden and depending on the season. In winter this could include cabbage, cauli, broccoli, parsnip, sweded, potato, kumara, celery, carrot, cabbage or all of the above. In summer tomatos, corgettes, beans, peas, sweetcorn (cut from the cob), carrot, potato, kumara – you get the message.
One large bunch of herbs – parsely, coriander, basil or chervil.
Take the veges and dice them, if, like me you are a garlic nut, one clove finely chopped should be enough. Leave aside peas, beans and tomatoes to add later.
In a medium to large saucepan melt one large nob of butter and sautée the vegatables for a few munites, until the sugar in them has just caramelaised and they are well soused in butter. Add enough water (from the tap) to cover by at least 3 centimetres, cook for ten minutes (simmering), add peans/beans/tomatoes (chopped into chunks around the size of the other veges) and while this simmers on roughly chop the large bunch of herbs, stalks and all.
Toss the herbs in and when the beans are done (taste them, crunch, perfect) your soup is ready.
Give a good stir, serve in bowls alongside crusty bread and a glass of Mahi 2008 Boundary Farm Sauvignon Blanc.
Bloody marvelous!