Many moons ago I lived in California and one of my favorite things to do was going to the local beach caf and have soup n’ sandwich for lunch. In those days, soup was inevitably a creamy chowder and the sandwich a mountain of bacon, lettuce and tomatoes with lashings of mayo. Needless to say I loved it! These days, however, I still love the soup n’ sandwich concept but I try to use ingredients that nourish rather than clog my arteries.
Although we are told we are heading into Summer, at times it may not always feel like it. Take today when the rain is pouring down outside and you just feel like snuggling up in front of a warm fire.
My recipe suggestion therefore is a light, tasty and incredibly comforting vegetable soup made out of the humble green pea. Packed with flavour and colour it is too often used as a side for kids’ meals and overlooked by us adults for sexier veg. No longer. Whether you choose to buy fresh peas and hull them yourself or buy the frozen variety (many brands have organic frozen peas) is up to you – the point is that peas are tasty and full of goodness.They contain a range of healthy phytonutrients, key anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants and deserve to be a staple on our table. Read more about the goodness of peas here.
This recipe comes from my friend Charlotte. When I made it we all agreed it was so tasty we had to have seconds.
Green Pea Soup
1 packet of 500 g organic frozen peas (or equivalent weight if you are a self huller)
1 small onion, chopped (I had run out and used 2 spring onions instead – worked a treat!)
2 garlic cloves 500 ml vegetable stock (if you want you can replace with chicken stock)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large tbsp rape seed oil
In a large saucepan, add the oil, garlic and onion and saute until soft. Add the stock and peas and cook until tender. Taste and add salt/pepper in required quantities. Use hand blender to create a smooth soup. If you fancy a little something extra then add some toasted croutons, extra black pepper or some chilli flakes. Serve hot or cold, with or without bread. Enjoy x
