• 1 onion , diced
• 3 medium carrots , scrubbed and diced
• 1 sweet potato , peeled and diced
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 1 tsp. umeboshi plum vinegar
• Sea salt , to taste
• Chili flakes , optional

• 1 leek , cleaned and diced
• 1 large zucchini , diced or 2 small zucchini , diced
• Small head broccoli , cut into flowerettes, stems peeled and diced
• 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable bouillon or 1 vegetable stock cube
• Black or white pepper

• 2 cups wholemeal flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley and chives
• 1 tsp. minced rosemary
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Big pinch of salt
• Buttermilk or runny yogurt , to bind

To make soup: Put the onion, carrot, sweet potato and orange zest into a saucepan and add about 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, add sea salt and chili flakes and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.

Allow to cool a little, then blend until creamy, adding umeboshi vinegar and, if necessary, more water to get the desired consistency.

Next, put the leek, zucchini, broccoli stalks and cashews into a clean saucepan and add about 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, add bouillon and simmer with lid on for about 7 minutes.

In this saucepan, add the broccoli flowerettes and peas and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow the soup to cool a little, then puree in batches until creamy. Add more warm water if needed to get the desired consistency.

Combine the two soups by pouring one soup decoratively in a bowl and then adding the other, swirling so the colors create a design you like.


To make scones: Preheat the oven to 220°.

Sift the flours into a mixing bowl and mix in the salt, baking soda, herbs and olive oil.

Stir in enough buttermilk or runny yogurt to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead very lightly.

Roll out the dough to about 1-inch thickness and cut into rounds using a small pastry cutter. Re-roll the trimmings and continue to cut rounds till the dough is used up.

Transfer to and oil baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Delicious served warm with some butter or veggie butter.


Variations:

• The green soup is as versatile as your imagination or the contents of your fridge. I've made it with leeks, parsnip and asparagus or onion, zucchini and spinach.
• I add the cashews to the finished soup to give it a nice creamy consistency, but there are other ways you can do this. A handful of oat flakes will add a nice creaminess, or you could add blanched almonds in place of the cashews. Alternatively, you could omit the nuts and add 1 cup coconut milk while pureeing. In this case, add a splash of lime juice and garnish with fresh cilantro instead of chives for an Asian twist.
• In place of the bouillon, you could season with 1 tablespoon of white miso, or simply use sea salt to taste. A teaspoon of umeboshi plum vinegar added at the end will also enhance the flavor.
• To add a nice twist to the carrot soup, you can add 1 cup of coconut milk while blending—use a little less liquid while cooking the vegetables. In this case, you can make it more Asian style by using lime zest in place of the orange and adding a little Thai curry paste in place of the chili flakes. Add some lime juice before serving and garnish with fresh cilantro.
• You can use spelt flour in place of the wheat in the scones.
• For a dairy-free scone, you could use organic soy yogurt, or soy or oat milk, to which you can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to curdle it, so it's more like buttermilk.