Peas, mint and lemon are all flavours that taste like sunshine.
And together they make a zingy, healthy and chilled soup that’s ready in no time at all. They’re ideal as a starter, or better still, an accompaniment to charred meat and fish that’s hot off the coals.
I like to serve the individual soup ‘shots’ with a dollop of yogurt, a little drizzle of extra virgin, some chopped chives, red pepper puree (pretty but non essential) and for a bit of crunch – soy roasted pumpkin seeds.
These crunchy little bites are a recipe revelation. An idea borrowed from Itsu and the (many) lunchtimes I’ve shaken more than my fair share of these salty sprinkles on to my salads and sushi. A quick search online and I discovered they’re seeds simply roasted in a little soy sauce and olive oil, and in the brief heat of the oven they puff up deliciously.
Chilled they’re then an ideal beer snack or (a much healthier use) a great sprinkle for salads, soups and pasta dishes. But beware, they’re seriously munchable and you’d be wise to make extra for emergency snacking purposes.
Ingredients for lots of little shooters
- 300g frozen peas, left in cold water to thaw for about 20 minutes and then drained
- 250g low fat natural yogurt
- Juice of 1 juicy lemon
- 1 Knorr chicken stock pot (the jelly sort that come in individual pods)
- Black pepper
- A handful of fresh mint leaves – I counted about 20 large leaves when I did it I think
- 150ml your fave extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Sea salt to taste
Method
- In to a food processor place all the ingredients apart from the salt, and whizz up until smooth. Taste the seasoning and salt and lemon juice if needed.
- Decant in to pots and keep in the fridge to chill until needed and for at least 30 minutes before serving. Easy.
Soy roasted seeds ingredients
- 100g shelled pumpkin seeds
- 50g sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp normal olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- Mix the wet ingredients together and then pour them over the seeds, and stir thoroughly until they’re all coated. You don’t want to add extra liquid, trust in that the 3tbsp will be enough to coat them.
- Pour on to a lined baking sheet and spread out so they’re as flat as you can get and not sat on top of each other.
- Bake for 13 mins, stirring once, then remove from the oven. Let them cool totally before using or eating them, which doesn’t take long.