Hot Summer Soups

Although in the rest of the country it is said that the sun does shine, here in the East any sense of the season has quite forsaken us, so, while we may dream of Maxi-dresses and Vichyssoise, we are wearing woolly jumpers and slurping steaming soups.

On Clare Island, at the height of the courgette glut, we put aside some home-made pesto, and make a summery Courgette and Pesto Soup - the pesto really gives this soup edge, lifting it from overgrown-courgette dowdiness into a somewhat sophisticated soup.

This is best with Basil Pesto, but Rocket or Nettle will do as well.

Heat up some Olive Oil in a pan, add a couple of Spring onions, finely chopped, and 4 cloves of Garlic (halved) briefly fry, then add 2 overgrown courgettes, chopped. Toss these in the oil for five minutes.  Cover with water, bring to the boil, adding a handful of basil leaves and simmer for about fifteen minutes, the courgettes should hold their shape.  Stir in 1 tbsp pesto.  Blend.   Taste and season with a touch of coarse Salt (Pesto can be very salty) and loads of coarse ground Black Pepper.

If you've no Pesto, Food Urchin has a Courgette Soup recipe with Basil and Parmesan, toss a few toasted pine-nuts on top when you serve it and you'll have the Pesto effect.
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Pea Soup

This is quite the most beautiful soup, when made with fresh-picked peas the soup is ever so sweet and a gaudy bright green.

Saute a couple of Onions in oil, add Ground Cumin.
In separate saucepan add Peas to boiling water for not more than five minutes so they retain their colour and sweetness.  Drain reserving the water.
Add a bit of the pea-water to the softened onions and cumin.  Blend this.
Blend peas in a tiny bit of water separately.
Add peas to onion mix, and more water if necessary.  Bring to the boil.
Season with a bit of coarse salt.

Serve immediately drizzled with Olive Oil and roast whole Cumin.

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Broad-Bean Soup

My mother has been crowing about a such-a-success Broad Bean Soup recipe...she has however failed as yet to produce said recipe.  When she does I shall post it here.

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On other recent soup notes: as well as Food-Urchin, Pistachio and Rose made soup here, and Fiona Beckett the Frugal Cook, blogged here on why isn't soup sexy?