I am still on my culinary run of super-warming soups and stews, since the winter here in Britain has long outstayed its welcome, and is showing no signs of going yet. Although it is now officially Spring, the temperatures are still freezing, and we are still getting snow and ice in much of the country, brrrrr!!! So I need food to warm and cheer me, hence this cream of vegetable soup recipe I created recently, which definitely does the job. I think it is kind of French-inspired, but I didn't use any particular recipe, just chucked in what I had in my fridge and cupboards. And the result was quite magnifique! (I think you will agree, if you make this yourselves!)

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 small courgette/zucchini, chopped into chunks

Handful of sweetcorn

Around 4-5 spears of asparagus, trimmed and chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Half a pint of vegetable stock

½ cup/100 ml vegan cream, e.g. soya cream

1 small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, chopped

1 small bunch of fresh rosemary, chopped

1 fresh garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and white pepper

Black pepper (optional)

For the croutons:

1-2 slices of crusty/stale bread

Flakes of sea salt

Olive oil

Method

1) Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and lightly sauté the onion until soft, then add the garlic and fry gently for 1-2 minutes.

2) Add chopped courgettes and fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add the carrots, asparagus, and sweetcorn and fry gently for around 5 minutes, whilst stirring.

3) Add the vegetable stock, the herbs and the seasoning, bring to the boil, then cook over a lid on over a low heat for around 25 minutes.

4) Whilst soup is cooking, heat oven to around 210 deg C. Cut bread into small cubes, put on lightly-oiled baking sheet, and pour over 1 tbsp of olive oil and a few sea salt flakes. Bake croutons in oven for around 15 minutes, turning once, until crispy and golden-brown.

 5) Around 5 minutes before the end of the soup's cooking time, turn down the heat and slowly add the vegan cream, allowing it to mix in completely.

6) When soup is done, ladle into bowls and serve garnished with a swirl of remaining cream, some chopped parsley and the croutons.

7) Enjoy with some crusty bread!

Your votes and comments are much appreciated.