Method

• Bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil add the green beans. Blanch for 1 minute then plunge immediately into ice cold water. Set aside.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil and add the broccoli. Blanch for 30 seconds then immediately plunge into ice cold water. Set aside**.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Gently sweat the leeks, celery and courgette until soft but not coloured. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaf and thyme sprig, bring to the boil then reduce the heat.
• Add the petit pois and blanched green beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the beans are tender but retain some bite.
• Add the purple sprouting broccoli to the saucepan and simmer for a further minute. Remove the thyme sprig and bay leaf.
• Stir through the chopped Black Garlic cloves.
• Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To Serve: ladle the soup into four soup bowls. Scatter over a few snipped chives and add a spoonful of BGK’s Black Garlic Mint Pesto to each bowl. Ideal served with BGK’s Black Garlic Chilli & Cheese Hot Cross Buns.

Top Tip:* to remove any grit or sand from the leeks – cut off the dark green tops and remove the tough outer layers of the leeks. Place the leeks on a large chopping board, insert the tip of a sharp knife 2cm from the root of the leeks and cut straight through the middle. Fan open the leeks and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Cut off the root and slice as required.

Top Tip:** submerging the broccoli and beans in ice cold water after blanching stops the cooking process and helps the broccoli retain a bright green colour.