After whining about a truly horrid 'bought' Winter Veggie soup this week - my great pal Kim, who is an infinitely superior cook, suggested I get seasonal and Go Freezer! So here for you is Kim's answer to fast food. The simplest of pea soups - now then pay attention, because Kim doesn't do measuring, so we'll have to work this out together...
You will definitely need:
A bag of frozen peas - I opted for garden peas but you could use Petits Pois and mine weighed @1kg.
A lemon - preferably unwaxed.
White or brown onion and/or a couple of garlic cloves.
Stock if you like (Kim doesn't specify - I use a bit of unsalted bouillon powder).
Litre of boiling water (you may need more or less and this makes a lot of soup so make your adjustments).
This is what I did...
I peeled and finely chopped a small brown onion. I figured a red one might muck up the colour of my beautiful pea green soup, but if red's all you got - don't sweat it - well do, but don't ... sigh. I Sauted my onion in a little butter and olive oil (just use oil if you prefer, and this would be a good time to sling in a clove or two of garlic).
I boiled the kettle, opened the peas and ratatatated them into my gert, big pot with the rind of the lemon, pouring about a litre of boiling water in after them and a teaspoon of powdered stock.
In the meantime I made cheat's melba toast.
Toast your bread. Take a jolly big, scary sharp, knife and carefully split the toast in half so you have one toasty side and one untoasty side. Keep your hand flat to the board. Now spread loads of butter on the untoasty side so that no-one notices... and Tadah!
Back to the peas pot plot
After about 5 - 6 mins on a gentle rolling boil. I added the juice of the lemon and whizzed the soup up with my trusty handheld whizzeratorer. Slung it in a bowl with loads of black pepper and some salt - dolloped a blob of creme frais on the top and some toasted pine nuts* and scoffed it warm. If you can wait that long this will be peatastically fresh and delish when served cold - but I'd already made my toast.
Post Prandial Observations:
Getting the liquid to peas ratio right is a matter of practice and taste I reckon - if it's a bit thick you can knock it back with some water - but I wouldn't want to do too much of that last minute for fear of diluting the lovely pea-ey flavour.
*I always have a bowl of toasted pine nuts on the side and a tub of creme frais in the fridge - together they can make any soup taste fancy, also
brrrrilliant mixed into rice and cheese. Uhh uhh uhh! Try it first.
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Making soup has got to be the quickest way to a healthy, hearty lunch or supper. If you're a weightwatcher then you'll be after the holy grail - Zero Point Soup. For me I feel, that for the sake of a couple of points saved - you're missing out on some extra, uber delicious, flavour and nutritional wonderment.
