Spring bean broth
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Spring bean broth
Verdant spring herbs are abundant in this comforting yet zingy broth. Add a dollop of oat fraîche, then stir it into the soup as you eat to make it delightfully creamy without adding dairy
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Emily Gussin
Emily Gussin is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on food magazines and more. She is also author of two cookbooks that reduce waste in home kitchens.
Emily Gussin
Emily Gussin is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on food magazines and more. She is also author of two cookbooks that reduce waste in home kitchens.
Ingredients
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- 2 tsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 vegetable stock cube*
- 20g flat-leaf parsley, stalks finely chopped and leaves picked
- 10g dill, stalks finely chopped and fronds picked
- 80g watercress, thick stems chopped and leaves picked
- 2 leeks, cut into 1cm slices
- 150g frozen broad beans
- 150g frozen peas
- 1 x 570g jar Bold Bean Co Queen Butter Beans
- juice of ½-1 lemon
- 150g Oatly Oat Fraîche (or dairy-free yogurt)*
Step by step
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Put the fennel and caraway seeds in a mortar and lightly crush with a pestle (or on a board under the flat base of a mug). Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the crushed seeds and garlic. Cook gently over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened and fragrant. Meanwhile, dissolve the stock cube in 1 litre of just-boiled water.
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Stir the chopped parsley and dill stalks into the pan along with the watercress stems and a pinch of salt. Cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the leeks and simmer gently for 6 minutes. Stir in the broad beans, peas and butter beans (including their liquid). Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
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Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice to taste and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir through the watercress leaves and half of the parsley and dill leaves. Divide among serving bowls, then top with a dollop of oat fraîche. Scatter over the remaining herbs and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and some more black pepper.
*Check your stock cube is gluten-free and use dairy-free yogurt for gluten-free, if required.
