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Courgette Soup with Mint Pesto

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Rex Features

1kg medium-sized courgettes
2 tbsps olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
juice of half a lemon
salt and black pepper
For the pesto:
2 good handfuls fresh mint leaves (see Tip)
50g chopped mixed nuts (or almonds or pine
nuts)
75ml olive oil (about 5 tbsps)
salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Top and tail the courgettes and slice into 0.5cm rounds. Heat a large frying pan with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and, over medium-high heat, fry the courgettes (you will need to do this in two batches, adding the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil with the second batch), turning each slice over after about 4 minutes – if the underside is pale golden, it is ready to turn – and cooking for a further 4 or so minutes until all the courgettes are soft and golden.

2. Push the second batch of courgettes to the sides of the pan and add the garlic to the centre, stir-fry for a minute or two, then tip all the courgettes and garlic into an electric blender (if your blender is small, do this in two halves).

3. Add the stock, which can be cold or warm but not boiling hot, and blend to smooth, then tip the lot into a large pan over a medium heat to warm through, adding the lemon juice for the last minute or so. Add plenty of black pepper and some salt to taste. If serving cold, allow to cool then serve drizzled with the mint pesto.

4. To make the pesto, pick the mint over and remove any hard stems. Put into a blender with the nuts and half the 75ml olive oil, and blend, adding the rest of the oil in two batches and blending a little more. Add a little seasoning to taste.

Tips

• Common mint (spearmint) is best in this pesto but you can also use apple mint.
• The soup is also nice served warm.
• Later in the year, you can use lemon basil instead of the mint.
• If you have a glut of new mint, pick it young and tender and make a lot of this pesto, or a mint sauce (mix chopped mint with a classic vinaigrette) and freeze in ice-cube trays.

The Green Food Bible, available to buy nationwide from July 15, priced £15.99

Words by Judith Wills from The Green Food Bible, Tuesday 8 July 2008

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