A Spoonful of Summer

Catherine Lawson

There’s never a wrong season for soup. No matter the time of year, there are always seasonal ingredients which lend themselves beautifully to either chunky, hearty bowls of goodness in the colder days, or lighter, smoother, slow sips of soup in summer.

I used to think that come the warmer weather, the only option was to embrace gazpacho, but unlike the Spanish I have never quite understood it – cold soups just aren’t my cup of tea. Hot soups made from delicate, fragrant summery ingredients, on the other hand, can be a thing of beauty. Summer is awash with seasonal options when it comes to lighter soups: courgettes, peas, tomatoes, corn, celery and even nettles, have all been served up at my table in the form of soup at some point over the years. With a good stock at hand, and a few key vegetables which are in season, you really don’t need much else if you want to fully appreciate the tender flavours of summertime.

This recipe for garden pea and mint soup is one of my all-time favourite summer recipes. It hits all the right notes for me: the colour is vibrant green, the flavour is a perfect balance of savoury and sweet, the texture is smooth, and the fragrance is fresh. It is the perfect taste of summer. As always, when recipes are packed with plants, there’s an abundance of nutritional goodness too. Peas are high in fibre, protein and essential minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron; they’re also a surprisingly good source of Vitamins C and K. Mint is equally beneficial, bringing Vitamin A, calcium and antioxidants into the mix, not forgetting the soothing effect it can have on our digestive systems. Put both ingredients together, and you’ve got a nutrient rich recipe which is delicious, easy to make, and cost effective too.

The key to this soup is to get the cooking time right. If you over cook, or over boil the peas, they’ll lose their tender taste and vibrant colour, and you’ll be left with a khaki dish reminiscent of school dinners. It’s the same with the mint – if you want to retain that gorgeous fresh flavour and aroma, then it’s in the pan for two minutes tops. To make the most of the delicate flavours in here, it’s best to keep the olive oil light (extra virgin can easily overpower tender ingredients), and to leave the garlic out (an essential I would normally always use in soups). Sometimes, less is more when it comes to making the most of summer ingredients, and with this soup you want the two star ingredients to shine.

Garden pea and mint soup

Ingredient list
Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter
2 tbsps light olive oil
½ small white onion,
finely diced
1 small courgette, diced into small centimetre cubes
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
(include the leaves)
1 litre vegetable stock
800g garden peas
(fresh or frozen)
15g fresh mint (leaves only)
½ tsp seasalt
Ground black pepper to taste

cooking method
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion, celery, courgette, and seasoning and sauté over a medium heat for 10 mins