• 300g new potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 medium courgettes, cut into 1cm rounds
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 750ml good vegetable stock
• 200g spinach, leaves picked from any coarse stems
• A large handful of chives, finely chopped
• A small handful of fennel tops, roughly chopped
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sourdough bread or good country bread, to serve

Cut any larger potatoes into quarters and the smaller ones in half, any ting one leave whole. Place them in a pan of salted water and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Return the clean pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and courgettes. Stir in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds and chilli flakes and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring regularly, for 15–20 minutes until the courgettes have softened and begun to break down.

Add the cooked potatoes and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes. Lightly crush a few of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.

Add the spinach and stir until it wilts into the broth. Stir in the chives, fennel tops and parsley and simmer for a further minute or two.

Take the soup off the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve with a generous trickle of extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of good bread.