Ali Currey-Voumard’s broccoli soup and cheesy toast

Up the ante on a simple vegetarian soup with a riff on Welsh rarebit served on the side.

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

30M

Total

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“I don’t have many food memories from when I was young, says chef Ali Currey-Voumard, formerly of The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery and The Summertown Aristologist. “But one recipe that Mum used to make a lot was a good broccoli and potato soup with a very bastardised Welsh rarebit.”

Ingredients

2 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or rice-bran oil

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

500 gm (about 2) sebago potatoes, coarsely chopped

700 gm (about 2 small heads) broccoli, thinly sliced (cores and thick stalks kept separately)

1 litre (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

Sour cream, extra-virgin olive oil and finely chopped chives, to serve

Cheesy toasts

100 gm (1 cup) coarsely grated cheddar or Gruyère

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 egg, beaten

4 thick slices soft white or wholemeal sandwich bread

Method

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add leek, celery and garlic and stir occasionally until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add potato, broccoli cores and thick stalks and stock to just cover, season to taste and simmer until very soft (20-25 minutes). Add broccoli florets and finer stalks, simmer until just cooked (2-3 minutes), then blend with a hand-held blender until smooth.

2.Meanwhile, for cheesy toasts, preheat oven to 220°C. Combine cheese, sauces and egg in a bowl, and season lightly to taste. Spread onto bread, transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake until golden and bubbling (10-12 minutes). Cut into fingers.

3.Season soup to taste, divide among bowls, and top with a spoon of sour cream, chives and a drizzle of oil. Serve hot with cheesy toasts.