Ingredients

• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 clove garlic
• crushed
• 150ml/¼ pint vegetable stock
• 50ml/2fl oz double cream
• 75g/3oz whole almonds
• toasted and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 slices white bread
• crusts removed
• cut into cubes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• For the soup
• melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until softened.
• Add the vegetable stock
• double cream and almonds and simmer for five minutes.
• Blend with a hand blender and pour into a bowl.
• For the croutons
• heat the oil in a frying pan and add the bread cubes stirring to coat the bread cubes in oil. Fry gently until golden on all sides.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with parsley.
• To serve
• sprinkle the croutons onto the soup.