Posted on
18 July 2016
by
Liz Robb
Chilled Pea, Mint and Watercress Soup
Ingredients
2 shallots A medium potato, about 100g
1 fat clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
850 ml chicken stock
250 ml frozen petit pois
A small handful of fresh mint
A large handful of watercress
1 lemon
3 heaped tablespoons of low fat crème fraiche, plus more to serve
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
A few chives
Servings
4
Preparation
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1. Peel and finely chop the shallots and the garlic. Peel and cut the potato into fine dice. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes over a low heat so that they are soft but not browned. Add the potato and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring so that the potato doesn’t stick.
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3. Stir in the hot chicken stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes.
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4. Pour in the peas, bring back to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
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5. Chop the mint leaves and the watercress and stir into the soup. Squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Liquidise or blend until the soup is really smooth.
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6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of low fat crème fraiche, making sure that it is really well mixed in. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
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Allow to cool to room temperature and then place in the fridge to chill completely
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make sure that you allow plenty of time for this.
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Serve cold, topped by a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkling of chopped chives.
Cooks Note
This light chilled soup is tangy and tasty, just the thing for a hot summers day. It can be made well in advance then left to chill in the fridge, and you don’t need to spend long in the kitchen to make it!
You can replace the shallots with white onion or spring onions if you wish.
Try using the juice of a lime instead of the lemon.
If you find the citrus taste a little too much, just add a pinch of sugar.
Instead of adding crème fraiche you could use thick Greek yoghurt or soured cream.
It is really lovely made with fresh peas at this time of year, but I found that it works perfectly well with frozen petit pois too.
Serves 4