A friend made this soup for me last winter. He’d first eaten it on a plane, an international Virgin flight, got home, Googled it, and had been making it two or three times a week for about a month. It’s that kind of soup – one of those things that when you taste it, it makes you think, “I could eat this happily for the rest of my life!”. I made this soup on the Easter weekend, and paired it with homemade pizza. I haven’t made pizza for ages, mainly because of the unseasonable heat of the last months but also because I don’t really like pizza dinners. Pizza alone never seems like a proper meal: there isn’t enough greens or vegetable in a pizza dinner to satisfy me but, with this soup as a side, I felt like I was getting the vegetable–greens–pizza balance right for a change.

I always use frozen peas for this soup. The addition of the one third of the peas and the fresh herbs at the end makes it a vibrant green, like you’re eating a bowl of life-giving chlorophyll. You can serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche (or cream, if you please) but it has a creamy richness that can stand on its own. The addition of copious amounts of basil and mint give it a palate-popping shazam that keeps you coming back for more of its addictive green goodness.

Green pea, basil and mint soup

Adapted from the Daily Mail Online

• 500 grams of frozen peas
• 1 white onion, finely chopped.
• ¼ teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 600 mls of water or stock
• 20 grams of basil leaves (about half a bunch)
• 20 grams mint leaves (about half a bunch)
• salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat olive in saucepan and saute onion until translucent add chilli flakes (if using) then add two-thirds of the frozen peas and half of basil and mint leaves. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until peas are tender.
2. Allow soup to cool a little then process soup with frozen peas and fresh herbs, until smooth. Season to taste and add more water if the soup is too thick. Reheat gently before serving.
3. Can be served with a dollop of crème fraîche or some shaved parmesan cheese, if desired.