Nici Wickes: For the love of soup

Green goodness  - spinach & hazelnut soup
This soup is as good for you as it is glorious to slurp and it is fabulously fast to make. The roasted hazelnuts pair wonderfully with the spinach and they, like spinach, are high in iron.
Serves 2
½ leek, roughly chopped 
 1 celery stick, roughly chopped 
2 tbsps olive oil 
 2 cups vegetable stock 
 400g spinach, rinsed and drained 
 ½ cup hazelnuts, roasted & skins removed (see note)
 ½ tsp salt
Pinch nutmeg 
Small handful of basil or parsley
2 slices GF bread, cubed
2 tbsps olive oil
¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
¼ tsp salt & grind of pepper
 

Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté the leek and celery until softened –about 5 minutes. Add chopped spinach and stock and cover. Simmer for a couple of minutes to soften the spinach slightly.
Add hazelnuts, salt, nutmeg and basil or parsley and cook for 1-2 minutes. Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. A high-powered blender works best here – I use my Vitamix. Pour back into saucepan, adding more salt or nutmeg if necessary, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Toss bread cubes in oil, chilli flakes if using, salt & pepper. Fry in a pan, stirring often, until golden and crispy.
Serve bowls of soup topped with croutons.

 
Nici’s note: I find the best way to skin hazelnuts is to roast them at 180 C for 10-15 minutes, cool until you can scrunch them in your hands to release the skins, then take tray outside and gently blow on them. The skins will flutter away on the breeze!  
Find more of Nici's recipes on her Facebook page.