Calorie count: 91
Cooking with lettuce may not promise many thrills, but here its fresh green clarity – teamed
with that of the cucumber and trumped by the glory of fresh shelled peas – works wonders.
Frozen peas are fine. This cold soup is just the thing to eat as spring gets underway and
Frozen peas are fine. This cold soup is just the thing to eat as spring gets underway and
the evenings start to lengthen.
Serves four
Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
4 spring onions, chopped
1 round lettuce, shredded
1 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
150g fresh or frozen peas
1 litre vegetable stock
1 vegetable stock cube
salt and pepper
snipped chives
1 Tbs half – fat crème fraîche
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a large pan and add spring onions, cooking gently for 3 minutes.
- Add lettuce, cucumber and peas, stir and sweat for 5 minutes.
- Add stock and stock cube, season and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes.
- Cool and blitz with a hand – held blender.
- Refrigerate until cold, check seasoning and consistency, and serve with chives and swirl of crème fraîche.
Frozen peas often contain more vitamin C than week-old fresh peas; freezing just after
picking locks in the vitamin which otherwise declines over time.