Stop with shop-bought cans of soups that hold very little nutritional value. Instead, try this low-cal, low-carb yet suprisingly filling soup for lunch, or as a light evening meal
Serves 2
½ onion, finely chopped
4 slices of Parma ham, chopped
200ml vegetable stock
1 large handful of spinach leaves,
2 large handfuls of watercress
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 tbsp crème fraîche
Method
1 Put onion, ham, stock, spinach, watercress and nutmeg in a large pan; season with pepper. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, turn down low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until rich and creamy.
2 Meanwhile, put the eggs in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, turn down heat to low and leave to simmer for 5 mins till eggs are soft-boiled. Remove from water and leave until cool enough to handle. Shell eggs and cut into halves.
3 Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the crème fraîche and sprinkle with a twist of pepper to serve.
Watercress soup with egg and parma ham from The New Low-Carb Diet Cookbook by Laura Lamont (Watkins, £12.99) Photography by Toby Scott and Noel Murphy.