As pea and mint are two of our gardening expert Mark Lane’s suggested harvests in July, baking expert Val Stones has brought the two classic ingredients together in a bright, summery soup that can be served hot or cold as part of our Plant to Plate Calendar.
Val’s thoughts and tips:
In midsummer, the garden is full of vegetables. I don’t always fancy a salad but crave a bowl of soup. This soup can be made with podded peas from the garden or frozen peas. My garden is small but an essential ingredient in this soup is mint which grows in abundance and complements this soup really well.
Serving suggestions and timings:
- Serves: 4
- Preparation time: 12 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25g butter
- 500ml water
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 750g peas
- 70g mint, roughly chopped (set aside a few sprigs to garnish)
- 300ml single cream (keep 4 tbsp to garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Place the oil, butter, onions and garlic into a pan and heat on medium, stirring continuously until the onions are softened but not brown
- Add the water and stock cube, stirring until dissolved. Add the peas and mint, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight lid, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes
- Either use a food processor or hand blender to blitz until the soup becomes a thick puree. Stir in the cream and add water if the soup is too thick. Bring back to a simmer and season with salt and pepper
- Serve in four bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream and mint sprigs. The soup will keep for five days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to three months
Build your own recipe book with the help of our ‘Plant to Plate Calendar’. With the expertise of Mark Lane and Val Stones, you can try your hand at Homity Pie, stir-fried chicken noodle salad, and salmon and broccoli tart.
