Prepare all the vegetables, cutting the carrots and swedes into 2 cm dice and the French beans into 4 cm lengths.

Cook all the vegetables in the gently boiling vegetable stock, starting with the carrots, and adding the swede, French beans, mangetout, broad beans, peas and asparagus at 2-minute intervals, keeping them fairly firm.

Drain the vegetables, cover and keep them warm.

Melt the butter, add the flour and cook to a second stage roux, add the vegetable cooking liquid to make a veloute and cook gently for 30 minutes, then pass through a strainer. Finish with the liaison, then mix in the vegetables to reheat without boiling.

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and garnish with heart-shaped fried croutons.