Fresh pea & lovage soup
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Plus podding and cooling
- Easy
- Serves 8
Skip to ingredients
Ingredients
- approx 2.5kg fresh peas in their pods (or 900g/2lb podded or frozen), plus 8 whole pods to decorate
- 100g unsalted butter
- 175g spring onions
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 ½l vegetable stock
- 100g crème fraîche
- bunch lovage (about 10 sprigs), leaves picked (or use a small bunch mint )
- olive bread, thickly sliced, to serve
Method
- STEP 1
Shell the peas, leaving 8 of the best-looking ones whole. Melt half the butter in a large pan, then gently cook the spring onions and garlic with the lid on for 5 mins, without colouring. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then add the peas and whole pods and simmer for 2-3 mins until tender.
- STEP 2
Fish out the whole pods and refresh under cold water. Tip in the crème fraîche, then the lovage or mint, and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge if serving cold.
- STEP 3
If you’re eating the soup hot, bring to a gentle simmer but don’t boil. To serve, ladle into bowls, decorate each with a whole, split pea pod and serve with a stack of toasted olive bread on the side (toast your bread on the barbecue).
