Courgette Soup

A few peeps have asked me recently for my Courgette Soup recipe so here goes for anyone who wants to have a bash! It's low fat for those of you who are watching their waistlines! I've also added a recipe for a pastry dish to try and use up all those delicious courgettes. For anyone interested there is a very nice recipe book 'What will i do with all those Courgettes' which will perhaps help with the glut.

Courgette Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon butter
Courgettes (Zucchini)(can be peeled or not peeled according to your preference - peeled gives a lighter green colour when finished) - the more courgettes that are added the better the taste

1 medium Onion diced
2 pints Chicken Stock (stock cube is acceptable but use two)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cornflour to thicken (optional)

Method:

Melt butter in a large saucepan.
Add onions and fry gently for 5 minutes.

Add courgettes (Zuchinni) and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes.
Add stock and bring to the boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and blitz with a hand blender and whizz until smooth
Return to the saucepan, thicken with cornflour to desired consistancy and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve.

Tomato, Courgette and Mozarella Pastry:

Ingredients
1 pack ready rolled Puff pastry sheets – thawed
Courgettes - sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes sliced
1x125g pack Mozzarella cheese – drained
beaten egg to glaze

Method:

Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.
Have ready a lined baking sheet.
Unroll pastry sheets and cut each in half across length, place pastry on baking sheets.
Mark a square border of about 1.5cm with a knife.
Lightly fry the courgettes in the olive oil until soft.
In the middle of the pastry make a row of overlapping tomato slices, a row of sliced cheese and a row of courgette. Add any remaining cheese on top as available.
Brush borders with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12-15 min until borders have risen up around filling and pastry is golden. Drizzle with a little olive oil, if desired, over the tomatoes before serving hot.

Serve with a side salad.

Serves 2-4.

Bon Appetit!