Minted Pea & Wild Garlic Soup

In the spring months, wild garlic is an abundant green in many British woodlands. Try adding a handful of wild garlic greens to this vibrant pea soup!

10 minutes prep, 15 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g ramps (wild garlic) stalks

1 tbsp olive oil

Knob of butter

275g scrubbed new potatoes

1 litre vegetable stock

150g freshly shelled peas

3 mint leaves, finely shredded

Freshly ground black pepper

A handful of ramps (wild garlic) flowers

Method

Wash and finely slice the wild garlic stalks.

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan and cook the stalks over low heat for 1 minute. Cut the new potatoes into small pieces and cook with the ramps for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Add 800ml of the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Add the peas and mint, and simmer for another 3 minutes to cook the peas. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to cool for a minute.

Blend the peas and potatoes in a food processor, and return to the pan, or use a hand blender. Use the remainder of the stock to rinse around the food processor bowl, and add enough to the saucepan to reach the desired consistency.

Heat over low heat to warm through, season with freshly ground pepper, and serve as soon as possible in warm bowls. Scatter ramps (wild garlic) flowers over the soup just prior to serving. If you wish, decorate with a swirl of crème fraîche.