Sweet pea and mint soup

THIS is my riff on Rebecca Katz’s French classic, minus the cream.

Sweet peas and mint naturally complement each other with their delightfully delicate, fresh flavours.

Katz amplifies the peas taste and nutritional content by adding pea shoots to the saute.

As for texture, the sauteed butter lettuce counterbalances the mealiness of the peas, making for a smooth consistency.

Makes 6 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 1 large leek, white part only, rinsed and chopped Sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 300g frozen sweet peas, defrosted, or 465g freshly shelled peas 1 small head butter lettuce, torn into pieces 1 cup pea sprouts 2 tbs coarsely chopped mint, plus more for garnish 1.5 litres chicken stock 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed 6 tbs full-fat plain yoghurt, for garnish Pea shoots, for garnish (optional)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the leek, a pinch of salt and the pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and the lettuce and another pinch of salt. Pour in 125ml of the stock to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat.

Pour one-third of the remaining stock into a blender, add one-third of the vegetable mixture, one-third of the pea sprouts and the mint. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a soup pot over low heat.

Divide the remaining stock in half and repeat the process two more times. Stir in the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Taste; you may want to add an additional squeeze of lemon and a pinches of salt.

Serve garnished with the yoghurt, pea shoots and a bit of mint, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.