This week we’re eating… pea and mint soup

Yes, I am a January cliche! But the new year healthy eating is going well so far.

The soup and smoothie recipes I shared on my Facebook page last week got a good reaction, and a couple of friends have asked me for more recipes, so I thought I’d continue the theme with this pea and mint soup.

It’s so simple and cheap to make, and the result is a deliciously tasty soup with a light and zingy flavour. Quite often, pea soup recipes suggest buying fresh peas and shelling them and while I have done that previously, I am quite happy to admit I save time and money when making this soup by using frozen peas, or petite pois, for a slightly sweeter, lighter flavour.

I always double or even triple the quantities in this recipe to make a huge pan-full, meaning I can freeze portions to keep me going for a few weeks.

Here’s how you make it.

Ingredients – serves 6-8

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1kg frozen peas or petite pois

1.5l vegetable stock

A good handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the onion and garlic and fry on a low heat until the onions become translucent.
2. Add the peas and the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add ¾ of the mint, simmer for a 3-4 minutes and then blend to a smooth consistency, adding a touch more water if the soup is too thick for you.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir in the rest of the mint and serve.

Variations

If you’re not healthy eating, stir a tablespoon of crème fraiche into each bowl just before serving.

I’m vegetarian, but Cardiff Daddy likes this soup with a few rashers of crispy bacon chopped up and sprinkled on top.

You can see all of my recipes on the Food section of Cardiff Mummy Says. Don’t forget to follow Cardiff Mummy Says on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram