Easy Peasy Minty Pea Soup

This recipe is for a fast and satisfying pea soup using ingredients you probably already have in the freezer and larder, except maybe the mint, and you can get away without that, but you'll just have Easy Peasy Pea Soup :-)

When you're feeling blue in the middle of winter this soup gives you a taste of summer. It is surprisingly economical and the frozen peas are usually fresher than peas bought in the pod at the supermarket or greengrocer. Of course, the freshest peas are those you have just picked from your own plants, but that isn't practical for moat of the year!

1 lb frozen peas (about 3 1/2 cups) 454g
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp sugar
20 fl oz chicken or vegetable stock (just over 2 cups) 550ml
5 fl oz single cream (1/2 cup) 140ml
fresh mint to garnish
bread - freshly baked if possible

Medium saucepan
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Stick blender (or sieve, but it will take longer)

Peel and chop the onion and the garlic then heat the butter or oil in the pan and fry the onion and garlic together until softened.

Add the stock and bring to the boil

Add the peas, sugar and the leaves from one sprig of mint and return to the boil, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the peas are tender.

Whizz it all with the stick blender until smooth, then stir in almost all the cream (leave enough to put a swirl in each bowl), taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired.

Strip the leaves off 2 sprigs of mint and slice them finely.

Reheat the soup if necessary then divide the soup between 4 bowls, add a swirl of fresh cream and sprinkle a little chopped mint onto each bowl.  Serve with a hunk of freshly baked bread