Rather than cooking a traditional evening meal, I sometimes make a hearty soup. This is a slightly adapted version of a recipe I found on the Gourmet Traveller website.
1 leek, white and light green part only
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
150-200g fresh lasagne sheets (see note below)
2 handfuls spinach leaves, shredded if large
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Croutons:
2 thick slices sourdough bread
1 Tbs butter, melted
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Topping:
1 small head fennel thinly shaved and some of the green fronds
Extra Virgin Olive oil to drizzle
Chop all the vegetables and place them in a large heavy-based saucepan with the olive oil. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the stock and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Can be prepared ahead to this point then reheated to serve.
Meanwhile make the croutons: cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl with the melted butter and grated cheese and mix well. Cook in one layer in a hot oven or an air fryer until crisp and golden.
Thinly slice the fennel and cut the slices into smaller pieces. Keep some of the fennel fronds.
To serve: Add the fresh lasagne sheets, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces and cook for a minute or two. Add the shredded spinach and sugar and check seasoning. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the lasagne is cooked, then ladle into soup bowls. Top with the croutons, the shaved fennel and fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serves 2-3
Note: if you don’t have fresh lasagne sheets, you can use any fresh or dried pasta and adjust the cooking time accordingly. If using dry pasta, choose a small size which cooks quickly.
