Chard and courgette Soup

Although it is a beautiful September day today - warm sun, hazy light and muted colours - there is a need for a cardy and it always seems to me that soup for lunch is ideal. This is the soup I have just had for lunch sitting outside watching lazy bees making the most of the garden and watching puppy Stanley digging holes in my lawn. I enjoyed the soup with a bit of Cambezola on a toasted crust - but it was probably filling enough without!

Chard and Courgette Soup

2 courgettes chopped

2 potatoes (floury) diced

2 small to medium onions chopped

handful of Swiss chard shredded

small bunch of chives

really good veg or chicken stock

Gently fry the courgette and onion in a splash of olive oil and add garlic if you fancy. Once the onions are translucent but not brown, add the diced potatoes and stir through for a couple of minutes. Add about a litre of stock, cover and bring to a gentle boil for about 5-7 minutes so that the potato is virtually cooked. Then add the chard and cover again for about 3 more mins. Whizz the soup with a hand blender and add salt and pepper to taste. I added chives at this point and you could go posh and add a swirl of cream too.

This is a delicious, dark green soup and if you are lucky it can all come from your garden now!