Spanish Christmas courgette creamed soup | La crema de calabacín
A simple, quick and delicious soup that we have as a starter for dinner at Christmas with my family. We are so many at the table that this is only one of the few starters there is to choose from. I have to say I always choose them all and have a bit of everything!
INGREDIENTS
1kg courgette
Half a leek
1 Spanish onion
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Half Spanish onion
70g Manchego cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 pinch of white pepper powder
1 pinch of nutmeg
200ml double cream
1 litre vegetable stock
FOR THE GARNISH
2 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
20g flaked almonds
Preparation
Place a pot over medium heat, pour the extra virgin olive and the chopped leek and onion. Fry it while stirring every so often for about 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the thinly slice garlic and fry it for a further 3 minutes before adding the diced courgette, the freshly grated nutmeg and the white pepper powder. Keep frying for a further 5 minutes before you pour the vegetable stock. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and add the grated Manchego and double cream (save 6 tbsps) , give it a good stir, let it come back to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes before turning off the heat.
Pour in a jug blender and blitz for about 4 minutes or until very smooth. Taste the seasoning and rectify if needed.
On a small frying pan over low heat toast the flaked almonds for a couple of minutes until golden and set aside.
With the help of a blender, blitz the parsley and olive oil for a couple of minutes until smooth and has become very green.
Serve the soup in a bowl, drizzle with a table spoon of parsley oil, another of double cream and finish it off by sprinkling a couple of pinches of the toasted almonds
