Chilled Summer Lettuce Lovage And Garden Pea Soup Recipes

CHILLED SUMMER LETTUCE, LOVAGE AND GARDEN PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Sweat the spring onions in the oil or butter until soft, then add the peas and lettuce. Pour over two-thirds of the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
• Remove from the heat and add the lovage leaves then blend the soup with a hand blender or in a liquidiser. Thin the soup to your preferred texture with the remaining stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place the soup in a container and chill in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours. Serve chilled with chopped lovage leaves and a swirl of cream.

FRESH PEA & LOVAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Shell the peas, leaving 8 of the best-looking ones whole. Melt half the butter in a large pan, then gently cook the spring onions and garlic with the lid on for 5 mins, without colouring. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then add the peas and whole pods and simmer for 2-3 mins until tender.
• Fish out the whole pods and refresh under cold water. Tip in the crème fraîche, then the lovage or mint, and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge if serving cold.
• If you're eating the soup hot, bring to a gentle simmer but don't boil. To serve, ladle into bowls, decorate each with a whole, split pea pod and serve with a stack of toasted olive bread on the side (toast your bread on the barbecue).

CHILLED FRESH PEA AND LETTUCE SOUP

Steps:

• In soup pot or large saucepan, melt butter.
• Add leeks and cook until tender but not brown.
• Stir in lettuce and cook until wilted.
• Add peas and combine well.
• Add stock, parsley, tarragon, chervil, pepper and just a sprinkling of salt.
• Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover and cook until peas are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Puree soup in a blender.
• Chill thoroughly.
• Stir in cream.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Adjust consistency with additional stock or cream if necessary.

CHILLED PEA, LETTUCE AND HERB SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the peas, lettuce and stock or water, and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer five minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain through a strainer set over a bowl, and allow the vegetables and the broth to cool for 15 minutes. Taste the broth, and season as desired.
• Working in batches, purée the vegetables and herbs in a blender with the broth and additional olive oil for two minutes until frothy and smooth. Pour into a bowl, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill for several hours.
• Serve, garnishing with additional chives, tarragon and/or mint.

LETTUCE AND PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan cook onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in romaine and cook, stirring, until wilted. Stir in 1 1/2 cups broth, peas, sugar, marjoram, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer soup 10 minutes.
• In a blender purée soup in batches until smooth, adding additional broth to thin to desired consistency. If serving soup hot, return it to pan whisk in sour cream. Heat soup, stirring, until just heated through, but do not let it boil. If serving soup cold, transfer it to a bowl and whisk in sour cream. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and chill soup, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until cool.