Summery soup with pesto

10-30 minutes 200 kcal or less 4 servings baby spinach basmati rice courgette courgettes frozen pea frozen peas green veg soup mains pea and courgette soup pesto pesto soup quick summer soup vegetable soup

N/A

Source

Ingredients

1 courgette , halved and thinly sliced

200g frozen peas , defrosted

1 vegetable or chicken stock cube or concentrate

250g bag of ready-cooked basmati rice (or left-over cooked, cooled rice)

100g bag baby spinach

4 tbsp pesto (fresh from the chiller cabinet has the best flavour and colour)

olive oil for drizzling (optional)

grated parmesan , to serve

Method

Boil the kettle. Tip the courgette and peas into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl, then leave for 3 mins until the vegetables have softened slightly. Meanwhile, re-boil the kettle and make up 600ml/1pt of stock and taste it for seasoning as this is the base of the soup.

Drain the veg, then put back into the bowl along with the rice and spinach leaves. Pour over the hot stock, then cover and leave for another 2 mins until heated through and the spinach has wilted.

Season to taste, then ladle the soup into serving bowls. Add a swirl of pesto, olive oil, if using, and the grated parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.