Two garlic soup

Serves 4-6

This may sound like a fierce concoction, but with fresh bulbs of new-season garlic - which is around for a while yet - you end up with a silky almost onion-like flavour.

This may sound like a fierce concoction, but with fresh bulbs of new-season garlic - which is around for a while yet - you end up with a silky almost onion-like flavour.

The wild garlic leaves also come into play in a sort of pesto-like sauce to top it off and I suggest making a larger amount and keeping it in a sealed jar in the fridge to use on pasta or as you would pesto.

4 bulbs of new-season garlic, roughly chopped or the equivalent of 4 bulbs made up of the bits left over from the pickled garlic recipe above
The white of 3 medium-sized leeks, shredded and washed
60g butter
1.5 litres vegetable stock,
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2-3tbsp double cream

for the wild garlic sauce

A small handful of wild garlic leaves, washed and dried
1tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts
1tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
4-6tbsp olive oil

Gently cook the garlic and leek in the butter in a covered pan for 5-6 minutes until soft, giving an occasional stir. Add the stock, season and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend in a liquidiser until smooth and strain through a medium sieve. When you blend the soup leave some of the liquid at the bottom of the pan so the soup doesn't turn out too thin. You can then add the remaining liquid to get the right consistency.

Meanwhile put all the ingredients for the wild garlic sauce in a blender and whizz. Whether it's smooth or coarse is up to you. You may need to stop the blender every so often and give the ingredients a stir so they get well blended, or add a little more oil.

To serve, stir the cream into the soup and season again if necessary, then pour into warmed bowls and spoon some of the sauce on top.