Minted Pea & Lettuce Soup

Serves 6

I am the person that needs to be dragged kicking and screaming out of summer-mode.  My poor daughter was freezing in the back of the car on the way to school this morning because I refused to put the heating on! I just wasn’t ready to accept autumn and press the dreaded button!  Eventually when I heard her little teeth chattering I conceded, albeit begrudgingly so.  So with that personal information to hand, you can imagine how much I do NOT want to start making soups or embrace the upcoming colder weather.  I don’t want cashmere and pumpkin spice lattes.  I want BBQs, bikinis and ice cream! However, this recipe was a compromise and seemed like the perfect middle ground.  It can be enjoyed cold with a dollop of crème fraiche for all of you fellow summer-lovers out there.  But it is also delicious served warm with some toasted seedy wholegrain bread for those of you normal folk who don’t have trouble letting go and are already in their autumn coats.

This isn’t a ground breaking new combination of ingredients, but I have made this recipe for years now and it is so simple and easy to make, yet packed with so much flavour.   It always amazes me how little seasoning I need to add to it once it’s done because the veggies pack in enough flavour all by themselves.  I also love the fact that it takes just 20 minutes to make from start to finish, so it really is minimal fuss and minimal mess. Sometimes if I run out of fresh produce, like when I return from holidays, then this soup can be simplified even more by just using the frozen peas and red onions, which I always seem to have lurking in my kitchen regardless.

One serving provides 170 calories and 8g of plant-based protein.

INGREDIENTS

·     2 x Little Gem Lettuce
·     1 tbsp Olive Oil 
·     300g Red Onion
·     4 Garlic Cloves
·     100g Leeks
·     A handful of Fresh Mint 
·     1.5L Vegetable Stock
·     750g Frozen Peas
·     Salt and Fresh Black Pepper 

METHOD

·      Dice the onions and leeks; and mince the garlic.
·      Finely chop the mint.
·      Chop the lettuce.
·      Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
·      Sauté the onions and leeks until they are just starting to brown before adding the garlic and mint for another minute.
·      Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the frozen peas.
·      Simmer for 10 minutes.
·      Season with a little salt and fresh black pepper.
·      Add the lettuce and simmer for another 5 minutes.
·      Blend until smooth with a hand held blender or cool slightly before transferring to a high-speed blender and blitzing.
·      Can be served hot or cold.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 170
Protein – 8g
Carbohydrates – 19g
Fat – 5g
Fibre – 2g