Lettuce & Pea Soup with Popped Pumpkin Seeds
The secret to great soup is in the stock. I make my own from leftover roasted chicken bones and vegetable offcuts. I keep these in sturdy bags in the freezer, one for chicken bones and another for offcuts such as onion skins, leek greens, carrot peels, celery leaves, kale stalks, and mushroom trimmings.
To make stock, I place 2-3 chicken carcasses and a large handful of offcuts in a large pot. Cover with about three litres water and simmer gently for 2-3 hours (or use a pressure cooker for one hour). Cool, strain and freeze into 500ml or 1-litre containers. To make 100 per cent vegetable stock use two large handfuls of frozen offcuts and two litres of water.
Ingredients
- 20 g butter or olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 plump garlic cloves chopped
- 1 potato peeled and cubed
- 6 large outer leaves of lettuce or 2-3 whole plants, shredded
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 litre quality vegetable or chicken stock see note above
- Handful of mint chopped
- Salt and cracked pepper
- Olive oil to serve
Popped Pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- Splash of tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the butter/oil and onions and cook for five minutes until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic, potato and lettuce, and cook for one minute until lettuce is wilted.
- Add peas and stock, bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes until potato is tender. Add the mint in the last minute then use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Season to taste. Serve immediately in warmed bowls topped with Popped Pumpkin Seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.
- To make the popped pumpkin seeds, heat a heavy-based skillet over a moderate to high heat with a slick of oil. Add the pumpkin seeds, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking regularly while the seeds crackle and pop. Tip on to a plate, drizzle with a dash of tamari or soy sauce and cool.