Healthy and refreshing chilled bean and mint soup recipe

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 750g broad beans in pods 
  
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
  
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
  
• A good grind of black pepper 
  
• Big handful of fresh mint, chopped 
  
• 600ml vegetable stock 
  
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard 
  
• 50g vegetarian ‘parmesan’, grated 
  
• Himalayan pink salt or sea salt for seasoning 
  

Topping:

• 10g coconut flakes 
  
• Pods of 2 broad beans 
  
• Sprinkle of chilli flakes 
  
• A small splash of extra virgin olive oil 
  
• A splash of soy sauce (or Tamari fro wheat-free) 

Method

1. Remove the broad beans from their pods, keeping half the pod shells. Remove the stringy bits from the shells and finely chop them. (TIP: the easiest way to remove the stringy sections is to snap the tops of the pods with your fingers and pull these down the pod so that it takes the stringy bits with them)  
2. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Pop the broad beans in the boiling water for 2 minutes. They don’t need long! Strain through a sieve over a sink and rinse briefly under cold water. Gently push the green beans out of their thick white skins and put to the side. 
3. Put a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Add the olive oil and gently heat for a minute or two. Drop in the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the onion is soft and translucent, adding the black pepper after 5 minutes.  
4. Once the onions are translucent, add the finely chopped broad bean shells with a splash of water. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring every now and then so that everything cooks evenly. Add the de-skinned broad beans and mint, and stir. 
5. Pour the vegetable stock over the broad bean mixture and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for another 10-15 minutes before blitzing in a blender until smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the saucepan through a sieve, pressing with a spoon or spatula to push the soup through. 
6. Set the saucepan back over a low heat and mix in the mustard and cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted through. Taste the soup and season with pepper or salt if you think it needs it. 
7. Cool the soup slightly and pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill completely. (TIP: the quickest way to cool the soup before putting in the fridge is to pour it into a heatproof bowl and set in a sink of cool water that comes about halfway up the bowl) 
8. While the soup is chilling, mix the coconut flakes and chopped bean pods with olive oil, soy sauce and chilli flakes. Spread in a thin layer on a baking tray and place under a medium grill for 2-3 minutes or until the coconut flakes are toasted. Keep an eye on this as the flakes will burn easily! 
9. Serve the chilled soup in your favourite bowl, with the coconut topping sprinkled on top and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The soup tastes even better the next day! 

Looking for more summery recipes? Then you'll love this Rainbow Rolls with Crispy Tofu and this Sesame Salmon Noodle Salad (and then why not treat yourself these Fruity Lollies afterwards?)

This recipe is brought to you by Meredith from Food At Heart which helps people to eat in a more mindful, conscious and delicious way. If you enjoy exploring taste, discovering new flavours and getting creative in the kitchen, check out her online programme, cooking workshops and one-to-one sessions (and redeem your special VITL discount here!)