Pea and lemon soup with feta and black pepper

Frozen peas are fine to use – especially the sweet little petits pois .

Serves 4.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 800g peas
• 1 small round lettuce, (I use the ‘boston” type) leaves separated and washed
• 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock
• grated rind and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 75g feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
• a few fresh mint leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, chilli and garlic for five minutes until softened.
2. Add the peas, lettuce leaves and hot stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes until the peas are tender.
3. Take off the heat.
4. Using a hand-held blender, roughly blitz until coarsely pureed. Stir in the lemon rind and juice and season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
5. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the feta and mint leaves