- 1.
Peel and slice the shallots and 1 of the garlic cloves. Trim and finely dice the celery and fennel. Scrub the new potatoes and roughly chop them.
- 2.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy based pan. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, fennel and potatoes. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins till the veg begins to soften. Stir often.
- 3.
Pour 800 ml boiling water into a jug and crumble in the stock cube. Pour into the pan and simmer for 5 mins.
- 4.
Cut the French beans into thirds, trimming the ends. Pod the broad beans and peas. Add them all to the pan. Cook for 2 mins without the lid on.
- 5.
Pull the leaves from the mint sprigs and roughly chop them. Zest and juice the lemon. Peel and chop the remaining garlic clove. Pop into a food processor with 1 tbsp olive oil. Blitz to a smooth paste. Pop into a bowl.
- 6.
Using a ladle, carefully decant 2 ladles worth of the soup into a food processor (you don’t need to wash it in between making your mint purée). Blitz till smooth. Pour back into the pan. Stir.
- 7.
Season the soup and ladle into warm bowls. Swirl through the mint purée. Top with torn basil leaves.