Green Pea and Mint Soup
Frozen peas, and no apology. The whole trick is cooking them for three minutes rather than fifteen, and blending while they are still shockingly green.
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 15 min
- Total 25 min
- Serves 4
- Vegetarian
Method
Step 1. Melt the butter in a large pan. Cook the onion and leek gently for 8 minutes with a pinch of salt until soft and sweet without colouring.
Step 2. Add the potato and the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is completely tender. The potato is what gives the soup body without flour or cream.
Step 3. Bring the pan up to a hard boil, tip in all the peas, and cook for exactly 3 minutes. No longer. Peas turn khaki and taste of tinned peas somewhere around the five-minute mark.
Step 4. Take the pan straight off the heat. Add the mint and parsley.
Step 5. Blend until completely smooth — a jug blender does a far better job than a stick. Work in two batches rather than filling the jug; hot soup under a sealed lid will lift it off.
Step 6. Season and add the lemon juice. Taste: it should be bright and slightly sharp. If it is dull, it needs salt before it needs more lemon.
Step 7. Serve at once, while the colour is still shocking, with a swirl of cream, a few whole peas, mint leaves and a grind of pepper.
Notes from the kitchen
- Do not keep it warm on the hob. If you need to hold it, cool it fast and reheat quickly — the colour is the first thing to go.
- Vegan in two swaps: olive oil for the butter, oat cream for the double cream.
- Blitzing a handful of spinach in with the peas deepens the green without changing the taste.
