Seasonal recipe No 1 – Broad bean soup

The first of Camel Community Agriculture’s weekly recipes celebrates our first-ever veg boxes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients
125 g (4 oz) chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
60 g (2 oz) butter
0.5 kg (1 lb) shelled broad beans
2-3 good quality bean pods
chopped fresh sage or parsley
salt, pepper, sugar
6 tablespoons double cream
lemon juice, chopped green onion stalk or chives

Method
Soften the onion and garlic in butter without letting them colour.  Add the beans, a litre (1.75 pints) water, the pods and a few sprigs of the herb you choose.  When the beans are cooked (approx 10 mins), sieve or blend the soup. Reheat, adding more liquid if necessary to dilute.  Season to taste, with a pinch of sugar.  Add a little more chopped herb, the cream, the onion stalks and a few drops of lemon juice to bring out the flavour.

Notes
This soup recipe taken from Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book is simple, quick and good.  Jane Baxter, the resident chef at Riverford Organic Vegetables’ Field Kitchen, has adapted it into Broad bean soup for children who hate broad beans!  She discards the pods before blending the soup.  I agree with her that it is essential not to skimp on the cream.

If you don’t like to use cream and butter for economic or health reasons, try this Vegetarian Society “cordon vert” recipe for Fresh broad bean and mint soup. There’s also a delicious-sounding recipe for Broad bean pate.

Danny, one of our core group members, recommends Chorizo and broad bean salad.  Danny says:

“I tried this absolutely delicious broad bean salad. My kids loved it as well!!!

Simply fry an onion, add the sliced chorizo and put the podded broad beans in at the end. I topped it with fresh parsley and some parmesan. YUM!

I did it again with bacon instead of chorizo…..equally yummy!!”

For tips on how to cook, store and freeze broad beans have a look at the useful eat the seasons website.

Click here to see all the recipes that Camel CSA members have recommended so far.