Minted Asparagus and Garden Pea Soup
30 min
Fresh asparagus is the ideal quick-cook vegetable to partner peas in this perky soup topped with fromage frais and toasted pine nuts. Serve with Ricotta and Pesto Bites (also on this site). Delicious!
Jan Cutler
4 people made this
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 200g asparagus spears
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 175g potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 140g frozen peas
- 650ml vegetable stock, made with stock cubes
- small sprig of fresh mint
- 4 tbsp fromage frais
- 40g toasted pine nuts
Method
Prep:15min ›
Cook:15min ›
Ready in:30min
- Snap off any woody ends from the asparagus stalks at the point where they break easily. Cut off the tender tips and reserve. Roughly chop the remainder.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan and add the shallots, chopped asparagus and potatoes. Cover and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
- Reserve a handful of peas and add the remainder to the pan with the stock and mint sprig. Cook for a few minutes if the potato is not quite tender. Season, then tip into a food processor or blender and process to a smooth purée. Return to the pan.
- Blanch the asparagus tips and reserved peas in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain. Bring the soup to the boil, then stir in the blanched asparagus tips and peas. Ladle into bowls. Swirl a spoonful of fromage frais on to each and scatter the pine nuts over the top.
