This recipe is adapted from one of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipes. The photo of the finished soup is also Hugh’s as we’d already eaten it before I got to take a picture!

(w) Ingredients available from Weigh Ahead

• 2 tbsp olive oil (w)
• 1kg courgettes Preferably small, but as I hate to waste, any size works for me), sliced 3-4mm thick
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (w)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• About 750ml whole milk (or use half milk, half veg stock) (w)
• 1-2 bay leaves (w)
• 100g rindless mild goat’s cheese
• Mint (Weigh Ahead sell dried mint if you can’t get fresh)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the courgettes and, once they’re sizzling nicely but before they start to brown, turn down the heat, season with a little salt (it helps draw out the moisture) and cook gently, stirring often. As they become tender, break them down a little until they have softened almost to the point of mushiness; this can take up to half an hour.
2. Add the garlic when the courgettes are almost done, so it gets a chance to cook but not burn. You should end up with a fragrant, garlicky, rough courgette puree. Leave it coarse like this, or blitz in a food processor if you prefer a less chunky soup.
3. While the courgettes are cooking, put the milk in a pan with the bay leaves. Bring up to just below boiling, then leave to infuse.
4. Stir the cheese into the courgette mixture, then strain in the hot milk a little at a time and stirring all the while, until the soup is a consistency you like. Bring the soup scarcely to boiling point, season and ladle into warmed bowls. Top with a good trickle of extra-virgin rapeseed or olive oil, and a few shredded mint leaves.