The weather forecasters are threatening us with a heat wave. This is a really unusual and wonderfully refreshing summer soup that makes use of the radish leaves as well as the roots, courtesy of The Guardian. Don’t worry if you have only leafless radishes: rocket or watercress can stand in. Serves four as a starter.
Ingredients
- About 20 radishes and their leaves (or 20 radishes plus two good handfuls of rocket or watercress)
- 12 mint leaves, plus extra to serve
- 250ml vegetable stock, chilled
- 1 small dessert apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Method
- Set aside two of the radishes. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, plunge in the radishes, their leaves (or the rocket or watercress) and the mint, cook for just a minute, then drain. Refresh immediately by plunging them into a bowl of cold water, or running them under the cold tap in a colander
- Put the blanched radishes, leaves and mint in a food processor with the stock, apple, creme fraiche, cayenne and some salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste, add more salt and pepper as needed, and chill
- Serve the soup cold, garnished with slices of the reserved raw radishes and a little shredded mint