PEA, SPINACH AND LAMB SOUP

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SERVES 4

Imagine the most scrumptiously robust Sunday roast whizzed into a satisfying soup! This recipe is an easily digestible version of a triumphant and meaty meal, with the valuable benefits of bone broth to repair and heal your gut lining.

1 garlic bulb, whole, unpeeled

extra virgin olive oil for roasting, plus extra to serve

2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil or 1 tablespoon ghee

1 onion, diced

3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked

300 g (10½ oz) lamb fillets or backstrap, thinly sliced

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) beef broth

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3¹/₃ cups) freshly shelled or frozen peas

45 g (1½ oz/1 cup) baby English spinach leaves

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 handful of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, roughly chopped, or micro parsley

Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Slice 1 cm (½ inch) off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves then place cut side down on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little of the olive oil and roast for 30–35 minutes or until softened. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Melt the coconut oil or ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and thyme leaves and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add the lamb and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes or until lamb is browned.

Add the broth, peas, spinach and apple cider vinegar. Bring to the boil, add the parsley, setting aside a little to use as a garnish, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes (or 15 minutes for a stronger flavour). Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or blender (remove some peas first to use as a garnish if you like). Season to taste, reheat slightly if necessary, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and perhaps a garnish of peas.