Jamie Oliver has been prancing about again lately, as you’ll no doubt have seen. His Eton Mess stunt – in protest at the government’s U-turn on its much-needed anti-obesity strategy – was a little tiring, but I don’t care for all the derision he attracts.
I’m of the generation that was upended by Oliver’s meddling (our school canteen chips were taken away because of him!) and yet I’m still a fan. He did us all a favour, actually. And who in government cares as much as he does about the health of ordinary, state-educated children? Oliver’s intentions have always been good even if his methods are tacky.
I also happen to be a massive fan of Oliver’s food. It’s always been democratising and right now that’s a powerful thing. Food prices are rising almost insurmountably, and at times like these, we need affordable pasta dishes, veggie chillis and simple roast chicken recipes. Oliver’s “budget” recipe section on his website is up there at Jack Monroe’s level of accessible good food.
Pukka boy’s most recent recipes are all vegetarian because they’re in association with the wildlife charity WWF. They’re also in collaboration with a supermarket, but let’s ignore that because its spokesperson’s comments in the press release I received are patronising and unbelievably boring. Oliver just bangs on about healthy choices and feeding the family, as per, which is fine.
My favourite of the new batch is a springtime vegetable soup. You might consider it Italian in style, or at least inspiration. It’s a comforting, light dish, perfect for batch cooking and bringing into the office for lunch. If you’re not on the veggie train, add pancetta early on in the cooking process. Or have the soup with a side of porchetta.
ITALIAN-STYLE SPRINGTIME VEGETABLE SOUP
SERVES FOUR
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
300g frozen classic vegetable base mix
Four sprigs of fresh thyme
One x 300g bag of spring greens
One x 400g tin of white beans, such as cannellini, butter, haricot
One organic vegetable stock cube
Four slices of stale bread (200g)
60g Cheddar cheese
One pinch of dried chilli flakes
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil into a large deep pan over a medium heat. Add the vegetable base mix, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, two sprigs of fresh thyme, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until softened.
Drain the beans, reserving the juice, then add half of the beans along with the juice to the pan. Crumble in the stock cube and top up with 800ml boiling water. Stir well, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the sliced spring greens and cook for 2 more minutes, until tender. Transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, then season to perfection.
Place the bread on a baking tray and coarsely grate over the cheese. Sprinkle over the remaining beans and the chilli flakes and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
Divide the soup between warm bowls, top with the crispy beans and cheesy toasts, sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
