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‘No-Pea’ Green Soup with Spicy Chorizo and Feta! Mmmmmmh...



So its getting colder here… and in my household that means two things: 

  • Mommy wants her electric blanket, and... 
  • Mommy’s Cooking Soup for Supper! Yay! (I can actually hear my Six groan as I type this). I think, with my kids, it’s a texture thing? They don’t like anything soupy, mashed or too saucy (yes, I feel sorry for me too...) But that’s okay because, if its for-my-mouth-only, it allows me to be a bit more daring with my flavours and spices. Oooh, how exciting, I get to be daring with my broccoli soup? (I really need to work on my salcasm, I know).


But, seriously, this soup is actually quite mild in flavour so don’t ‘chicken-out’ when it comes to adding the cayenne pepper or the spicy sausage. It needs the saltiness and different layers of heat to pack a punch. If, by some lucky chance, your kiddies like eating soup, but don’t want it too spicy, then keep the cayenne pepper for soft warmth, and replace the sausage with smoked bacon, or ham, or even diced, left over chicken pieces, instead.

And you wont even miss the croutons of your old, wheat-eating life, because the different textures of the sausage and feta add a lovely crunch and ‘chew’ all on their own. Trust me.

Serves 2 large or 4 small bowls

INGREDIENTS

  • A knob of Butter and a splosh of Olive Oil, for frying
  • 1 Chorizo sausage (or six strips of streaky bacon for a milder, kiddy version - or cooked chicken breast or ham) chopped into small pieces
  • 2 Leeks, wash thoroughly and chopped
  • 1 head of Broccoli, broken up into florets
  • 750ml - 1 litre of good Chicken Stock
  • Himalayan Salt and White Pepper to taste
  • ¼ - ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Egg
  • ¼ Cup grated Parmesan (or strong, mature Cheddar)
  • A bunch of fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
  • Big handful of washed, Baby Spinach, roughly chopped

 TO SERVE

  •  A dollop of Cream or Cream Cheese or Milk or Coconut Milk to thin
  • A crumbling of Feta

 EQUIPMENT

  •  Medium sized heavy saucepan
  • Immersion blender OR blender

 METHOD
  • Place your knob of butter and splosh of oil in your heavy saucepan, over medium heat. Note: if using Chorizo, you will need much less butter/oil than if frying bacon as the sausage has loads of delicious flavourful fat.
  • Gently fry your spicy sausage pieces, or bacon, till crisp, remove and set aside.
  • In same pan, with remaining sausage/bacon fat, fry onion till translucent and softened.
  • Add broccoli, stock and seasoning and simmer, covered, for about 5 - 10 minutes until broccoli is soft and tender.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add egg, cheeses, cream, parsley and baby spinach and blitz in your blender (you might need to do this in stages) or straight in the pot with your clever little immersion stick blender, until smooth and creamy.
  • You may wish to loosen it with a little more cream or stock, depending on how thick/creamy you like it.
  • Taste test. Check seasoning.
  • Plate up your soup into warmed bowls and garnish with sausage meat and crumbled feta.





Voila. Spicy soup to warm you up, for when your electric blanket is just not enough!

Much love, gratitude and happy nibbling

xox

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