Green Pea Soup [vegetarian]

Green peas are very high on my own list of favourite vegetables. I like them for many reasons: their slightly sweet taste, their beautiful green colour and also for their versatility. You can add them to salads, soups, stews; together with a boiled egg and a bit of mayo they make a great and speedy snack or they can be served as a side dish for a roast or any other meat or fish dish.

A list of health benefits of green peas is equally impressive. They contain phytonutrients that lower risk of stomach cancer as well as provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Green peas are also very good source of manganese, Vitamins K and B1. But it is the excellent protein and fibre content that regulates a rate of food digestion and keeps our blood sugar on a steady level that is especially important as it reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. 

So I hope I have convinced you that – along with other legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.) – we should eat more green peas (at least 3 cups of legumes per week). So why not start with this delicious soup?

INGREDIENTS (4 lunch or 6 starter portions):

1 tbsp olive oil,

1 tbsp butter,

1 onion, chopped,

400g potatoes, peeled and chopped,

750ml vegetable stock,

450g frozen green peas,

150ml milk,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. In a medium size pot warm up the olive oil and butter, add the onion and sweat on a medium heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Add the potatoes, stir them with the onions and cook for 5 minutes more (it is important not to burn the onions).
3. Add the stock, bring to boil, lower the heat to medium and cook covered for 10-15 minutes till the potatoes are soft.
4. Add the green peas and milk, bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes more.
5. Check the seasoning and liquidise until nice and smooth.