Banana Bread
Chilled courgette soup
This chilled courgette soup is a great way to use up excess courgettes from the vegetable patch or allotment. Perfect for really hot weather.
Ingredients:
- 400g/14oz courgettes, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 large cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 banana shallot, roughly chopped
- 20g/¾oz fresh dill, plus extra chopped dill to garnish
- 10g fresh mint, leaves picked
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 150g/5½oz full-fat greek-style yoghurt
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100g/3½oz day-old sourdough, ciabatta or white loaf, torn into 2cm/¾in pieces
- sea salt
Directions:
- To make the soup, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place the courgettes in a roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 20 minutes and then leave to cool.
- Place the cooled courgettes, cucumber, garlic, shallot, dill, mint, lemon juice and the remaining olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until very smooth. Add the yoghurt and continue to blend until well combined and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in 200ml/7fl oz cold water. Season with salt and pepper.
- To make the croûtons, heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the bread and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden. Season with salt.
- Serve the soup in bowls and top with the croûtons, if you like. Garnish with the chopped dill and a drizzle of olive oil.