Vitamin Soup (serves 4)
Vitamin soup is packed full of vitamins – A, B9 C, E and K – and so is really good for you and is quick to make. I put broccoli, spinach and watercress together with a base of onion and my homemade chicken stock (vegetarians, substitute vegetable stock). For some reason I will only make chicken stock from the most organic chicken I can find – this one was from Whole Foods. If you are lucky enough to have a butcher near you he should know where his chickens come from. My mother, the great cook, has a butcher who rears his own cattle so he definitely knows where his stuff comes from and he hangs it for 3 weeks! She also gets her eggs from a farm which looks like a film set for Beatrix Potter. To get to the porch where the eggs are kept you have to negotiate the car around the free range chickens, ducks and geese! You pick out your eggs and hopefully you have remembered to bring your own egg box and are trusted to put your money into a jar. That was a little digression!
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion – diced
4 oz each of broccoli (cut into florets), watercress and baby spinach
3 – 4 cups chicken/vegetable stock
Place oil in cast iron casserole dish (I use Le Creuset) and season with salt and pepper.
When sizzling, add onion and cook until softened but not browned.
Add stock to onion and then add broccoli, spinach and watercress.
Bring to boil and then simmer for around 10 minutes until broccoli is ‘al dente’.
Blend in food processor and result will be delicious and a lovely color of green.
