Pea and Lettuce Soup with Mint and Chives
Pea and lettuce soup with mint and chives is a lovely light entree for a spring lunch.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 leek, ends trimmed, sliced finely and washed (substitute with a brown onion)
- 1 lettuce, 6 outer leaves (I used a Gem lettuce)
- 1 cup frozen peas (or fresh if you have them)
- 1 bunch chives, washed and coarsely cut (I find scissors easier than a knife for chives)
- 1 cup mint leaves, washed and removed from stems
- 1 L vegetable stock (Campbell’s liquid stock or make your own)
Vegetable Stock
- Approx 1 kg vegetable scraps (celery leaves and ends, leek and carrot tops and tails, onion skins) or use 2 whole carrots, 2 celery sticks & 1 brown onion, all coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 L water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the stock, bring to the boil, then add the peas. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lettuce, mint and chives. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Purée cooled soup with a handheld blender and season to taste. Reheat and serve.
Vegetable Stock
- Add vegetable scraps to 3L water with 1 tsp salt in a large saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for an hour.
- When cool enough to handle, strain the stock into another saucepan. Discard the vegetables (I give the carrot to my Labrador and compost the remainder). Cook the stock for another hour on a medium-high heat until the liquid is further reduced. You should have about 1.5 L remaining. Season to taste.
Notes
Making your own vegetable stock is not included in the cooking time. I’d recommend making this when you’re in the kitchen for a while, and freezing it until you’re ready to use it.
To make the soup more substantial, stir in 1/3 cup of almond meal after sautéing the leeks. You can also strew a few strips of grilled prosciutto over the top.
The soup can be made a day ahead. It will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up the three days. It is also suitable to freeze.