Healthy and Delicious Broccoli, Pesto, and Chilli Soup

 I know I'm probably stating the obvious when I say this, (actually I know I'm stating the obvious) but England gets a lot of rain. Whether it's the icy sheets that come with winter winds making you run for a blanket and mug of hot tea, or the pattering showers warmed from the soft sunshine, we're pretty well known for our turbulent weather. And whilst it's usually easy to shrug off the unpredictable downpours with a quick dive into a shop (something else we're pretty well known for) or pull of a hood, the persistence of the rain can sometimes leave you yearning for a bit of sunshine. 

Now this is where this recipe comes in handy. Refreshing, healthy, and the chilli giving it that little bit of ommf!, this recipe will have you dreaming of summer days in the countryside. Given this past week, when London was predicted a month's worth of rain in a couple of days, I could appreciate a little bit of sunshine in a bowl.

You Will Need:

• 1 large potato
• 1 floret of broccoli (or two, if they are small)
• Chilli powder or chilli flakes
• 2-3 tablespoons of pesto (more or less,depending on your taste preference)
• 500 ml of vegetable stock
• 300 ml of single or double cream, depending on how creamy you want the soup
• salt and pepper, for seasoning

Instructions:

Slice the potato and broccoli into small chunks, and boil them on medium-high heat until they're cooked. After you've drained them, stick them into a blender and pulse them until they've turned into a purée. Then add the pesto tablespoon by tablespoon, pausing to sample taste each time to ensure you like the amount of pesto in the soup.

Just a quick pause and note on pesto. Home-made pesto tastes so much better if made from scratch with fresh, good quality ingredients than the store variety. Don't let the ingredients list and fancy packaging deceive you either, because fresh pesto is simply a mixture of pine nuts, basil, parmesan, garlic, and a good glug of olive oil. If you are one of those cooks that religiously follow recipes, there is a good one here, otherwise simply throw it all in a blender and adjust to suit your taste!

But anyway, back to the soupy goodness.

Once you have puréed the vegetables and pesto until there are no lumpy chunks, scoop that healthy slime into a pan with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once it is bobbling happily along in the pan, throw the cream in and continue to let it boil until it is piping hot. Throw in a pinch of chilli pepper or more depending on your taste preferences, and then serve with healthy portions of warm wholegrain bread.

Now all you have to do is close your eyes, take a sip, and imagine you're relaxing on a Mediterranean beach. 

Generally, this soup serves 3-4 people as a starter, but if, like me, you have to feed a boy with hollow legs, this will serve two big portions. Although you might want to cook extra, for the inevitable fight over who gets the leftovers.