Green garlic and spinach soup with tarator

ingredients

• Tarator

  • 3 slice white bread
  • 120 gram walnuts
  • 150 millilitre extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon sakt fkajes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

• Green garlic and spinach soup

  • 6 bulbs (240g) green garlic, with 10cm stems
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon salt flakes
  • 200 gram baby spinach

method

• Green garlic and spinach soup with tarator

  • 1

    Make tarator: soak bread in 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze it dry. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound or pulse the bread, walnuts, olive oil and salt to the consistency of chunky peanut butter, then fold in the lemon juice and vinegar.

  • 2

    Peel the garlic to remove the tough outer layers, then nip off any little roots at the base. Chop the stem into 2 cm lengths and cut the bulb in half.

  • 3

    Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the garlic for 5 minutes or until soft, then add 1 litre of water and the salt. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, then fold in the spinach, using tongs to push it under the water. Remove from the heat after 30 seconds and use a stick blender to puree until smooth.

  • 4

    Divide the soup among bowls and dollop a couple of tablespoons of the tarator on top. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.