This thick, silky smooth soup is luxurious yet comforting and hugely nutritious with seasonal spinach and pulses. New potatoes are just starting to appear in the soil so I invented these gorgeous little crispy bites for the top of the soup which add a great texture and take it from a warming bowl of goodness to a dinner party treat.

Serves: 4 people
Prep time: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking time: approx. 20 minutes

Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegan Option

Ingredients

3 tablespoons light olive oil or cooking vegetable oil

400g (15 ounce) tin cannellini white beans, drained of liquid

3-4 (100g) new potatoes

80g (1 cup) fresh spinach leaves or 80g (1 cup) thawed, cooked spinach

1 medium leek, cleaned and chopped

1 medium white onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

400ml (1 ½ cups) vegetable stock (marigold low salt bouillion)

3 sprigs of rosemary to cook with new potato croutons

Method

• Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 / (350°F)

• Rinse the spinach well of any sand or grit.

• Place the spinach in a saucepan and cook on a low heat, allowing it to wilt, then drain away any excess liquid.

• To make the croutons, cut and dice the new potatoes into small, even crouton shapes. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and a pinch of sea salt. Place on a baking tray and lay the sprigs of rosemary on top and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning half way through, until golden brown.

• Now to make the soup: heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium/large saucepan. Add the chopped onion, leek and carrot and sauté on a medium heat for 2 minutes.

• Stir in the beans and cook for a further 1 minute, before adding the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a bubbling simmer for 10 minutes.

• Once cooked through, turn off the heat.

• Either use a stick blender to blend the soup smooth in the saucepan or blitz in batches in a blender and return to the saucepan.

• When the croutons are golden brown, heat the soup through on a medium heat, checking the seasoning and adding salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve the soup in bowls, topped with the croutons.