Green Pea & Lavender Soup
This week’s recipe of the week comes from Shannon Smuts, owner of Pure Good Pure Good, the one stop healthy eating haven based in Cape Town.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cream
5/6 lavender stalks (or 3 teaspoons of Lavender in Lavender Hill Cooking Herb)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium leek, root trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (white and green parts only)
2 teaspoons salt
2 ½ cups water mixed with 50g vegetable stock
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas, equivalent
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Mint
Method
In a saucepan add the cream and lavender stalks or cooking herb and simmer for 10 minutes. DO NOT let the cream boil, leave to simmer on the lowest heat.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Add the leek, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the stock, remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the peas and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint leaves, and stir to combine.
Let sit uncovered until the flavours meld, about 10 minutes.
Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until smooth.
Transfer the soup to a clean saucepan (if serving warm) or a heatproof bowl and stir in the lemon juice.
Taste and season with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
To serve, spoon the hot soup into a bowl and top off with a dollop of the lavender cream.
Read more about Pure Good at www.puregood.co.za.
Purchase your Lavender Cooking herb from our products page.
