This is a perfect spring time soup. It’s fresh and bright, a bit different to your usual pea soup. It’s a Little Gem, Pea and Mint Soup. We know pea and mint is a classic combination but this one is spruced up with little gem lettuce. Don’t be put off if you haven’t cooked lettuce before. The little gem adds almost a sweetness element to the soup and actually helps it blend to be nice and creamy. Of course, we add crème fraiche too! The trick with achieving a really great texture to your soup is a good blender.
What you'll need to make this Little Gem, Pea and Mint Soup
Butter
Leeks
Garlic
Peas (use frozen peas of course. They are so easy to use and taste the best anyway as they are picked right at the peak of their season and then frozen)
Little gem lettuce (this would also work with romance or even butter gem. It’s a great recipe to use up any lettuce that’s wilting a little at the bottom of the fridge)
Lemon
Vegetable stock
Mint
Crème fraiche (if you have cream open, add a splash of that)
Frequently Asked Questions
When cooked, lettuce actually breaks down and becomes silky and tender. When lettuce is raw, it can have quite a vegetal, almost bitter flavour but when cooked down, it definitely mellows and turns almost a little sweet that you wouldn’t even think it’s lettuce. This recipe is a great way to use up any lettuce that’s turning in the bottom of the fridge.
I like serving with a large hunk of crusty bread and with more fresh herbs on top, definitely mint and maybe even some chives. This soup is also great with crispy parma ham on top or a soft boiled egg for a bit of protein. But I just think bread and lots of salted butter is unbeaten.
More recipes you might like to try
Sausage and White Bean Stew
Homemade Tomato Soup with Rice
Fish Goujons with Homemade Fries and Mushy Peas
Weeknight Sausage Pasta – One Pot
Creamy Courgette and Lemon Pasta
Little Gem, Pea and Mint Soup
If spring were a soup, it would be this. Fresh and green yet remarkably quick and simple.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2-3 leeks
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 head little gem lettuce
- 1 lemon, juice & zest
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Handful of mint
- 50ml creme fraiche
- Chives and mint to serve
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Dice the leeks, peel and slice the garlic and sauté in the butter until soft, around 10 minutes.
- Rough chop the lettuce and add to the pan along with the peas, mint, lemon juice and vegetable stock.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes until soft, then add the crème fraiche. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until silky. You can use a classic blender but be careful doing that with hot soup as it can explode so I would cool the soup first a little.
- Tip the soup into bowls, swirl a little extra crème fraiche on top and grate over some lemon zest.
- Top with a little mint and some chopped chives and serve with crusty bread.
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