Sometimes I have cravings at odds with the seasons. Want soup in the middle of summer? No problem, just a few tweaks to a spring recipe and voila – a soup for all seasons! On a hot day, this soup can also be eaten chilled, don’t forget the dash of lemon juice before serving.

Green soup for all seasons

(4 medium serves)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (or light-flavoured vegetable oil)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 potato, peeled and diced (to thicken the soup)
200 gm broccoli, cut roughly OR a bunch of silverbeat/chard/kale/spinach
200 gm mushrooms (optional)
1 litre (enough to cover, more if needed) good quality vegetable stock
Juice of ½ -1 lemon, to taste
Cracked black pepper

Prepare your vegetables, as the soup will be blended it’s ok to roughly chop them. If using broccoli, don’t forget to include the stems but peel them if tough. If choosing kale, remove the fibrous ‘spine’.

Take a large, heavy based saucepan, place on a medium heat and add oil. Sauté the onions. When translucent add the garlic and potato. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.

Next add the greens,  then mushrooms, and combine the ingredients. Cover with vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.

Cook for around 20 – 30 minutes. Check from time to time and add more stock if needed. Once the vegetables are tender, remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender. I like this soup so it is slightly chunky rather than a smooth puree. Stir through some lemon juice to taste and add a little cracked pepper. As most stock is a little salty, you may not need to add more. Return to the heat and serve.

This soup is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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