Spring veggie soup

At Allvital, we believe that the foundation for a healthy lifestyle starts with good nutrition. For us, that means: homemade, with loads of fresh vegetables, varied and as seasonal and regional as possible.
At the same time, we are very much aware that a busy (family) life is not always easily combined with all of the above. That's why, here on our blog, we share with you a series of tasty and healthy recipes that are easy to make and provide you with plenty of energy to tackle that busy and sometimes stressful lifestyle.
All recipes have been developed by our food specialist Suzanne, who happens to be a certified nutrition coach and former editor-in-chief of Jamie Oliver's magazine. So she knows a thing or two about food and cooking. 
Especially for the Easter holidays, check out this green spring soup packed with seasonal vegetables. It not only tastes good, but also looks great on the brunch table.

Spring veggie soup
for 4 servings

Ingredients

1 garlic bulb
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 onion, finely chopped
400 g courgettes, diced
250 g green asparagus, peeled and cut into 2 cm pieces (keep heads separate)
750 ml vegetable stock
250 g peas, fresh or frozen
Leaves of 2 sprigs of mint, plus extra for serving
The zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Cut off the top of the garlic bulb (about 1 to 2 cm) so that all the cloves are visible. Remove the top and sprinkle the garlic bulb with salt and pepper, wrap in aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ˚C for 45 minutes.
2. Halfway through cooking the garlic, heat the olive oil in a soup pan over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Fry for a few minutes until the onion is glassy and fragrant, then add the diced courgette and asparagus (without the heads). Stir-fry for a few minutes and add the stock. Put the lid on the pot and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove the garlic bulb from the oven and the aluminium foil. Wait until the bulb has cooled down a little and squeeze the cloves out onto a plate. They should be soft enough to come out as a soft paste.
4. Add half of the garlic paste to the pan together with the peas and mint leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Keep the other half in the fridge to use for another recipe, e.g. hummus or pesto. In the meantime, blanch the asparagus heads in another pan until al dente.
5. Turn off the heat of the soup and add the lemon juice. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
6. Divide the soup between 4 bowls, drizzle with a dash of olive oil, sprinkle with lemon zest and garnish with the asparagus heads and a few mint leaves.