Prep time:

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 4

1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 onion, chopped

1 medium floury potato, peeled and diced

75g watercress

120g young spinach leaves

150g frozen peas

175g Stilton or blue cheese, crumbled (save around 20g for garnish)

1.2ltr vegetable stock

30g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

a little crumbled Stilton, croutons (optional) and a sprig of watercress to garnish

crusty bread, to serve

A healthy, but creamy vegetable soup, combining a seasonal mix of green vegetables with Stilton cheese. Adapt the recipe to suit whatever greens you have to hand. Use up the leftover Christmas Stilton or substitute with any strong blue cheese – and turn a simple soup into a comforting meal.

  1. Gently sauté the chopped onion and potato in a large, heavy bottomed pot, for about 8 minutes. Add broccoli and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so – until the broccoli is cooked.
  2. Add watercress, spinach and peas: stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the leaves have wilted and the peas are heated through.
  3. Remove the pot from heat and blend with an immersion blender, (or transfer in batches to a jug blender) and blend until smooth.
  4. Return to the hob for a few minutes and stir in crumbled Stilton cheese.
  5. Season to taste and serve garnished with a little extra cheese, croutons (optional) and watercress.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

You may also like

Peach & pistachio cake

This is an end of summer take on a Victoria sandwich, using peaches and mascarpone instead of jam and cream. Rose and lemon drizzle keeps the cake moist and rich, while pistachios add colour and a luxurious crunch.

Beetroot & feta salad

Beetroots are very easy to grow, and the great thing about home grown is that they can be picked when the roots are nice and small, which will make them sweeter when cooked (I roast them unpeeled in a low...

Grilled mackerel with roasted vegetables

It is the height of the mackerel season around our shores and this is such a tasty and very healthy fish, really easy to prepare and served on a simple dish of colourful Mediterranean vegetables.