Once again Nigel Slater came to my rescue with a recipe. This is based on broccoli and bacon soup from Tender Volume I.
- medium onion, roughly chopped
- 25g butter
- 150 -200g smoked bacon cut into short strips
- 300g broccoli (fresh or frozen)
- 1000ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
- Melt the butter, add the onions and cook until translucent (10-15 minutes)
- Add the bacon and cook until the bacon fat is golden and the onions are soft
- Add the potatoes, stock and season
- Cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft
- Add the broccoli and cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on whether it is fresh or frozen)
- Put the soup in a liquidiser and blend until smooth
- Return to the pan, check the seasoning, gently reheat and serve
You can add milk to make a creamier version (about 100ml) and you may need to add more stock or water if the soup is too thick. The bacon gives a wonderful background smokiness, so if omitted you may have to adjust the seasoning to compensate.
