Healthy pea soup recipe

Pea soup is a diet dream. It's so fresh and vibrant, with the bright taste of garden peas and a pop of cool mint.

It's also thick and filling. You won't feel like you're depriving yourself at all. The other great this is that it only takes 20 minutes to cook and almost all the ingredients are things you probably have in the house already. The only fresh extra you may need to buy is the mint - unless you have a pot of it growing at home already. Adding cream is an optional extra which does give it a thicker, rounder flavour. Swap for half fat crème fraîche if you prefer, or leave it green and natural. It's suitable for vegetarians and people with gluten or nut allergies. Swap the cream for a splash of almond milk and it's also suitable for vegans and dairy intolerances.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500g frozen peas
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 sprigs mint
• 100ml single cream (optional)

Method

1. Fry the onion in the oil for 5 mins until soft and transparent but not browned. Add the flour and cook for 1 min until thickened. Gradually add the stock, stirring until thickened. Add the peas and bring up to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins.
2. Pour the soup into a liquidizer and add the mint. Blend until smooth. Return to the pan and reheat. Stir in the cream just before serving if liked.

Top tips for making this pea soup

You can add in roasted garlic too, if you fancy an extra kick of flavour. Roast the garlic cloves in their skin until they go soft on the inside, then squeeze the soft centres out of the skin and stir into the soup.

Can I serve this pea soup as a chilled soup?

Yes. To serve this as a chilled soup. omit the flour, and chill the blended soup before serving. Use yogurt instead of cream to swirl in at the end. It makes a lovely lunch on a hot day.

How can I make this pea soup into more of a full meal?

To make this more of a full meal, you can grill a salmon steak and serve it on top of the soup. Reduce the amount of stock you add, so the find soup is thicker, and the salmon will rest on the surface.

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