Green Goddess Soup

This is a soup that many people might find challenging. I would urge you to try it. It is unexpectedly delicious (and rather rich, so don't make the servings too big). As usual, most of the vegetables I used (potatoes, chard, parsley, onion) came from my local organic market garden, the cream from my local dairy farm who delivers to my door. The tomatoes and frozen peas came from the supermarket.

Ingredients:
600 g cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
50 g butter
An onion, finely chopped
A clove of garlic, crushed
400 g potatoes, diced
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups of shelled peas (frozen are fine)
400 g chard (silver beet) or fresh spinach leaf (if using chard, use mostly leaf but include a few stems)
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaf
A pinch of piment d'espelette or chilli
2/3 cup cream

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 220C.
2. Toss the tomatoes in oil and season.
3. Spread them out on a tray and roast for 20 minutes.
4. Chop the chard leaf and stem, keeping them separate.
5. Melt the butter in a boiler and sweat the onion for 8 minutes.
6. Add the garlic, potato and chard stems, cook for 3 minutes.
7. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
9. Add the peas, chard leaf and parsley, cook for 3 minutes.
10. Season with salt, pepper and chilli.
11. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.
12. Stir in the cream and reheat.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
14. Serves 7 in bowls topped with roast tomatoes.

Yum

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