Soups & stews
Lettuce, pea and mint soup
A good soup for a summer's day: bright, green and not too filling. Good for Saturday lunch, alongside wedges of cheddar, oatcakes etc. This is fine with frozen peas too.
Ingredients
- large round lettuce, about 400g
- 25g butter
- 2 or 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 500g shelled peas
- 1 litre chicken or veg stock (or water)
- 3 bushy sprigs of mint
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Separate the lettuce leaves and stalks and wash thoroughly. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over a low to moderate heat, then soften the shallots in the butter. When they are tender but have yet to colour, chop the lettuce up a bit and stir it into the butter.
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Step 2
When it has wilted, tip in the peas, stock and mint leaves and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, season with salt and black pepper and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup in a liquidiser. Check the seasoning, then serve hot.