Ingredients

• 60ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• handful basil leaves (preferably Italian)
• chopped
• sea salt and ground white pepper
• to taste
• 1kg/2¼lb green courgettes
• cut lengthways into quarters then into 1cm/½in slices
• 750ml/1¼ pint chicken stock
• 60ml/2fl oz single cream
• handful flatleaf parsley
• chopped
• 50g/2oz freshly grated parmesan
• plus extra to serve
• crusty bread
• green salad
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat.
• Cook the garlic
• basil
• salt and courgette slowly for 10 minutes
• or until the courgettes are lightly browned and softened.
• Add white pepper
• to taste
• then pour in the stock and simmer for 8 minutes
• uncovered. Remove from the heat.
• Put three-quarters of the soup mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Return the mixture to the pan and stir in the cream
• parsley and parmesan.
• To serve
• ladle the soup into a bowl and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle over more parmesan
• to taste. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.