English Pea and Mint Soup with Lemon Ricotta & Peashoots

Make the most of the short season of fresh peas to enjoy this easy but spectacular soup!
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 300g Fresh Peas, podded and rinsed
- 50g Frozen Peas, still frozen
- 1/2 Shallot, small
- Large knob of Butter, unsalted
- 170ml, Vegetable Stock, Hot
- 50ml Double Cream
- 8tsp Ricotta
- Lemon Zest, pinch
- 1/4tsp Lemon Juice
- Peashoots to garnish
- Smoked Paprika
- Salt and White Pepper
Optional:
- Borage Flowers
- Violas
- Nasturtium Leaves
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and sweat the shallots until soft.
- Add the fresh peas and enough stock to cover them in the pan and boil for a couple of minutes until the peas are tender.
- Reserve 2 tbsp of peas and then place the remainder in a blender with the stock and blitz until smooth.
- Add the frozen peas, double cream and if necessary a little more vegetable stock if the soup is too thick and blend again.
- Season well, then strain through a sieve into a jug and chill.
- In a small bowl mix the ricotta with the lemon juice, zest and a pinch of salt. reserve.
To serve
Place 3 small spoonfuls of lemon ricotta on the base of a shallow soup bowl. Top each with a sprinkle of paprika and a borage flower.
Pour the chilled soup around the ricotta and dress with peashoots and edible flowers.
This is a recipe from Peter Lien, WI Cookery School Manager at Denman College, the residential college of the WI. For inspiring cookery courses see the Cookery School web site.