Chilled lettuce & mint soup

For me, summer sometimes feels like one long challenge to see how much lettuce I can use up. I always plant too much. The only solution is to take to them with the scissors, and a steadfast heart, and cull an armful to make this soup, which scales up and freezes brilliantly.

Serves 4 20g butter 1 onion, finely sliced 400ml fresh chicken stock (or vegetable stock) 2 (around 300g) little gem lettuces (or other green-hearted lettuces – though not iceberg, as too dull, or frisée, as too bitter), washed and roughly chopped 100g frozen peas, defrosted 4 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve Juice of ½ lemon

A small bunch of mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus 4 extra leaves to serve

4 ice cubes, to serve (optional)

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and sweat, covered, for 10 mins until translucent but not browned. Add the stock and bring to a delicate simmer.

2 Tip the chopped lettuce – stalks and all – into the pot with a big pinch of salt. Cook for no more than 2 mins, then remove from the heat. Tumble in the defrosted peas, then whizz with a blender to a smooth, creamy texture. 3 Return to the pan and stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice and maybe a pinch more salt. (If you plan to serve it chilled, then be sure to over-season, as chilling will deaden the flavours.) Stir in the chopped mint, too, then chill in the fridge until needed.

4 To serve, spoon the green soup into bowls, swirl a dab of crème fraîche in the middle of each portion, add an ice cube (if serving cold). Finish with a mint leaf and a twist of black pepper.