By Chris & Jackie Coke

 

	Ingredients	Comment
50g	Butter	Use a 3lt saucepan and get it heated before putting in the butter. Allow to melt
600 g fresh courgette	Dice into rough cubes	You can use the larger ones, so long as they have not gone to seed. Young ones make a fresher soup
One	Medium onion finely chopped	Fry in butter for about 4 minutes, until golden
2 or 3	Garlic cloves, to your taste	Toss into the butter and soften them up
25g	Flour	Used to thicken the mixture, Jackie says I don’t use enough
600 ml	Chicken Stock	Use Knorr Stockpot, just as good.- but if you have the real thing it is healthier, less salt
300 0ml	Milk	Added towards the end, do it slowly so that the milk does not curdle
Seasoning	To taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of grated nutmeg	I love Tellicherry pepper (from Lidl)
	Method
1	Melt butter in saucepan.
2	Add onions and garlic, allow to get golden brown
3	Add chopped up courgette. Fry gently for about 5 minutes. The courgettes need to be well mixed with the onion.
4	Stir in the flour and cook together for about a minute or so.	Stirring is important otherwise the onion may get black and stick to the pan.
5	Remove from heat, and gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil slowly and continue to cook, stirring until the mixture thickens	I have never been sure what it looks like thickened, but it usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes
6	Carefully blend in the milk and bring back to the boil, keep stirring.   Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
7	Add in seasoning.	I put all the seasoning together on a small china dish, like a saucer.
8	Allow to cool then sieve or puree in a blender until smooth. Thin with a little milk if necessary.	I have never tried to sieve. If you do it will remove a lot of the natural fibre.
9	For a party pour into a warmed soup tureen and swirl in a little cream just before serving	It makes about 900 ml, good enough for 6 servings.   Otherwise store in a suitable container. Can be frozen in a deep freeze.

 

All toxic dairy products can be substituted with their non-dairy alternative – soya milk, margarine and so on