Summer pea & watercress soup
Makes six generous portions
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
2 litres organic chicken or vegetable stock
500 g fresh peas, podded
200 g watercress, washed and spun dry
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
142 ml soured cream
extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat a large saucepan and pour in a little olive oil. Throw in the chopped onion
and celery. Turn the heat down and cook very gently with the lid on for 10 minutes,
or until the onion has softened, but not browned.
Add the potato and stock and bring
to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked. Next, drop in the
peas and watercress and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the peas are cooked.
Remove the pan from the heat. Whiz the soup with a hand blender, or in a liquidizer,
until smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup with a spoonful
of soured cream swirled in, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some crusty bread
and butter.
Tip: You can use frozen peas – just simmer them in the stock a couple
of minutes
Note: I like to sieve the soup through a fine sieve after liquidising.