Courgette Soup with Zuchini Fritti Croutons

Minus 12c in London? Has the world gone mad? There's only one thing for it: Soup.

Courgette soup is pretty much as easy as it gets - just fry up a few big 'uns with an onion, add stock, blend it all together and BOOM: dinner.

If you're not a zuchini fan, substitute them for any vegetable you fancy; but this one is so delicious and easy to make, that you'll be hard-pressed to do better. Also, because courgettes are so substantial, you won't need potatoes or any other thickener to bulk the soup out.

The zuchini fritti croutons are what really turns this soup into a 'Wow' recipe. If you are not making courgette soup, just make regular bread croutons, or make fritti out of whichever vegetable your soup ingredient is. Or just use the zuchini fritti anyway - they go really well with almost any soup.

Three courgettes are £1 in my local supermarket at the moment, so this dish comes in at 75 pence per serving. You could serve this soup with The Easiest Bread in the World, and still come in way under budget.

Serves 4

Courgette Soup

INGREDIENTS:

3 large courgettes, chopped into 1cm rounds
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1.5 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
Pinches of salt and pepper

Fry the courgettes and onions in the olive oil in a large pan, on a moderate heat, until soft and translucent (20 minutes approx). Add the stock and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Allow to slightly cool and then blend to a smooth consistency. Season to taste, and serve immediately with a few zuchini fritti croutons.

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Zuchini Fritti Croutons

INGREDIENTS:

1 large courgette, cut into 1cm dice
1 egg, beaten
50g breadcrumbs
Pinches of salt and pepper
Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

Dip the courgette chunks into the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden and crunchy (2-3 minutes approx). Season with the salt and pepper.