It’s getting close to that time of year when we start to really crave some daylight and spring veg. Fresh peas are a long way off yet but this hearty pea and mint soup is full of promise. Leave out the swirl of cream to keep it vegan.
Pea & Mint Soup – serves 4 generously
- 80g yellow split peas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1.2 litres vegetable stock
- 700g frozen peas
- 2 handfuls of mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 4 tsp single cream (optional to garnish)
Put the split peas into a saucepan and add 800ml of water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until just tender. Remove any scum from the surface as they cook.
10 minutes before the split peas are cooked, heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes to soften, add a splash of water if they start to stick. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Drain the split peas and add to the onions along with the vegetable stock. Bring the boil, then simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Stir in the frozen peas and chopped mint and season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Whizz the soup with a blender until smooth (or smoothish if you prefer) – you might have to do this in batches.
Ladle into warm bowls and drizzle with cream if you like.
(Original recipe from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge, Absolute Press, 2017.)
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