Pea Soup with Parmesan Cream

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of garlic (mashed)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 400 g peas (fresh or frozen keep a few for garnish)
• 150 g broccoli (chopped in chunks)
• about 3 cups warm vegetable stock
• 125 g cream cheese
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
• milk to dilute if needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 5 minutes. Add the butter, stir until melted and add the peas and broccoli. Give it all a good stir and add 2 1/2 cups of the stock. Bring to the boil, turn the heat lower and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   While the soup is simmering make the parmesan cream. Soften the cream cheese and mix in the grated parmesan. Add a bit of milk if the mixture is too thick and refrigerate until needed.

3. 3

   Remove the soup from the heat, place it in a food processor and blitz until fine and smooth. Return to the pot and add some more stock if you want a thinner consistency and check the seasoning (bearing in mind the parmesan cream is salty).

4. 4

   Serve the soup hot or cold with a good dollop of parmesan cream on top and garnish with a few whole peas.

5. 5

   Serves 6 as a starter