GREEN SOUP

Author:
Mae

Vegan Summer Green Soup

This is the recipe of my summer "Green soup" which I used for a recent conference catering, not my winter/spring green soup which I used for the school lunches. My "winter greens" is a bit more darker, a bit more "hardy", filled with energy required to help us see out winter, made with seasonal veg that naturally grow in the UK in that season. This one is more refreshing and light perfect to indulge in on a warm summer's day.

I normally use good quality frozen green peas for soups (Garden Peas or Petits Pois, the latter though is my most favourite) you can opt for fresh, but that requires a lot of de-podding!! So not the most practical, but if you are bored... I normally choose the fresh for snack times for kids its fun for them and obviously really good too. 

As always the most important thing is to eat seasonal local veg.
Nature has a method to the madness!
Embrace it, don't fight it!!



Serves about 5 portions

INGREDIENTS:

1.8kg Frozen peas
200g Baby Spinach
4-5 sprigs Fresh mint (best liberated fresh from your own garden if you have some)

Salt to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
Pepper to taste (about 2/3 tblspn)
2 Veg stock pots  (I used knorr stock pots)
1 big Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
4 tblspns Cooking Oil

METHOD:

-Peel, wash and roughly chop the onion into chunks.
-Peel, wash and quarter the garlic.
-In a medium, high sided, heavy bottom pot, drizzle in the oil and add the roughly chopped up onion and garlic.
-On medium flame, cook the onions and garlic for about 5minutes (or until the onion is transparent).
-Next place the peas (either from frozen or defrosted) and fill up with water enough to cover the peas and turn up the heat to a high flame.
*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID!*
( you can add just tap water or pre-heated water if you are in a rush).

-Once the water has started to boil and the peas, if frozen, have soften switch off the flame and remove from the heat source.
-Next add washed baby spinach leaves and torn up leaves of one washed sprig of mint and stir in with the peas.

-Leave to cool enough to blend (DO NOT COVER!), generally about 40 minutes or so is enough, but it is important to follow your blender manufacturer's guidelines.


-Once you are ready to blend, add the rest of the mint leaves washed and torn up. (Leave two or three for garnishing if you wish).
-Blend in batches as per your blender manufacturer's guidelines.
-Decant the blended batches into a large high sided pot, one which will safely hold all the soup with room for it to come to a boil.

-Once it is all blended to a smooth creamy consistency, put back on a medium/high heat. (If you find the soup to be too thick, add some more water until you are happy with the consistency).

*IMPORTANT DO NOT COVER THE POT WITH A LID!*

-Once the soup comes to a boil switch off and serve hot/warm either with bread and butter or plain. 
(you can garnish with the few leaves of mint and a twist of freshly ground pepper).



​TOP TIPs:

When cooking greens it is important not to over cook them or cover them, as they will loose there beautiful vibrant green colour. Greens if not eaten straight away, should not be covered until cooled. If you must cover it, its best to use a fly screen, this allows the food to stay safe without compromising it, as the fly screen will allow the steam to escape.

If you would like to freeze the soup, you can do so by freezing after blending, but before you re-heat it. The soup can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, but best to consume sooner rather than later to maximise the nourishment from its nutrients.

​Aside from eating veggies raw, which is best, eating veg straight away after preparing them ensures you can optimise your nourishment from them.