If you grow courgettes at home, you’ll know just how quickly they can go from perfectly petite to rather enormous! This simple courgette soup is one of my favourite ways to make the most of those slightly oversized courgettes that have been hiding beneath the leaves of the plant for a little too long.

Light, creamy and full of flavour, it’s a wonderfully easy recipe for using up a generous harvest from the kitchen garden. Better still, it requires only a handful of simple ingredients, allowing the delicate flavour of the homegrown courgettes to really shine. Serve with a swirl of cream, a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and plenty of crusty bread for a delicious garden-to-table lunch.

• 2-3 large courgettes 2-3 large courgettes
• 1 onion, diced 1 onion
• 3-4 large garlic cloves, diced 3-4 large garlic cloves
• A handful of mint A handful of mint
• A handful of basil A handful of basil
• A good glug of extra virgin olive oil A good glug of extra virgin olive oil
• 750ml vegetable stock 3 cups vegetable stock
• 60ml double cream 2fl oz double cream
• 50g Parmesan cheese 2oz Parmesan cheese
• Sea salt & black pepper Sea salt & black pepper