Green Vegetable Bisque

Oh yes, this has to be good for you! If you have eaten badly recently, if you know you haven't been getting your 5 servings a day, make a batch of this and feel good.  Even better, have it with a glass of wine and you'll probably reach the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables for the day :-)

Reason for this recipe

Organic Flat Leaf Parsley

Picture the scene, the fridge was full of lettuce and green leafy stuff from last week's DTD Organics delivery. Bulk quantities of Costco avocados along with cilantro and citrus fruits fill the vegetable draw and today is the day another DTD Organics delivery will be placed in the cooler out side for me.  When I signed up I promised myself I would eat everything they brought me...so I had to make room for the new delivery!  My first thought "throw it all in the blender and make a robust luminous green vegetable smoothie",  it would get the job done, but there had to be a better choice on a day when 3 inches of snow was predicted.  I decided to make a warm creamy smoothie and give it a sexy name!

This is what I used;
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion (finely chopped)
1 garlic clove
3 celery sticks (finely chopped)
Bunch of Arugula (washed and loosely chopped)
Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley (washed and loosely chopped)
Whole head of Lettuce (washed and loosely chopped)
1/2 cup cashews (soaked in water in the fridge overnight, or at least for 4 hours at room temperature)
3-4 cups Stock/Broth Chicken or Vegetable (or water, if you must)
1/2 tsp Celtic salt
1 Tbsp Herbs De Provence (or your favorite herb mix)

This is how you make it;

Sauté the onions, garlic and celery  in olive oil until the onions change color from white to translucent off-white. Add green leafy ingredients and wilt them; I use tongs and gently pick up pieces and turn them over until the bulk has reduced.  The leaves should not be too soggy, just a little floppy.

Add the wilted and sautéed ingredients to a blender and add 2 cups of broth to help blend the mix. Most recipes have you heating broth with the ingredients before you blend, but then you end up with steaming fluids and exploding blenders - why not blend with broth from the fridge?

Return the blended solution to the pan, add another cup of broth and season with salt and herbs;  gently simmer for 10 minutes. If's too thick for your liking, throw another cup of broth in, nobody's counting! :-) Also, don't let the algae sludge put you off, be patient, even though the soup will have a very strong parsley flavor now, it will mature into something wonderful as it simmers.

After 10-15 minutes the Herbs De Provence flavor will start to infuse through and your kitchen should smell very appetizing. While it's simmering, prepare the finishing cream for the bisque.  Drain and rinse the cashews and put in a blender with 1/2 cup water.  Blend until a pouring cream consistency is achieved (you may need to blend for a minute or two to get the required smoothness).

Reduce the heat and add the creamy cashew mixture (save some for garnish).  The algae-looking soup will be transformed into a wonderful creamy bisque! Again don't forget to taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. I think it turned out really well, I love the creamy nutty flavor of the cashews with the herb flavored greens.  Even the significant other was pleasantly surprised!

This recipe makes about 4 servings depending on whether you use it as an appetizer or main meal. It will go well with grilled cheese or any warm sandwich!