When I told my friend Lindsay I was writing a cookbook based around frozen peas, she insisted I include this chilled soup, although I have made a few little tweaks to her original recipe. If you’re not a chilled soup fan, this is also lovely warm.
Thai-Spiced Pea & Coconut Soup
Vegetarian, vegan, GF, DF
Serves 4
• 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 lemongrass stick, tough outer leaves removed, finely sliced
• large handful of coriander, leaves and stalks separated, both chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely grated (shredded)
• 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste (vegetarian or vegan, if necessary)
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
(gluten-free, if necessary)
• 1 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk, shaken to combine
• 500g frozen peas
• 1 red chilli, sliced (deseeded if you prefer it milder)
• handful of unsalted peanuts, chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and lemongrass and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened and the lemongrass smells fragrant. Stir in the coriander stalks and garlic, then cook for 1 minute.Add the curry paste and lime zest and cook for a further minute, stirring until everything is coated in the paste. Pour in the lime juice, stock and all but a couple of tablespoons of the coconut milk, then bring to a simmer. Add the frozen peas, bring everything back to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the peas are warmed through and tender. Blitz the soup either in a blender or using a handheld stick blender until smooth. Leave to cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge until cold. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle over a little coconut milk, then scatter over the coriander leaves, red chilli slices and chopped peanuts.
COOK’S TIP
You can also make this meaty by adding some shredded cooked chicken when you add the peas.
Pan-fried Gnocchi with Peas in a Creamy Tarragon Sauce
Tarragon and peas is a great combination. Herbs are a quick and easy way to add a hit of flavour, but tarragon can overpower dishes so I’ve not used too much.
Serves 2-4
• ½ tbsp oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 200g unsmoked or smoked bacon lardons
• 1 x 500g packet ready-made gnocchi
• 150ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 150ml double (heavy) cream
• 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 200g frozen peas
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the bacon and fry for 5-6 minutes or until golden, crisp and the fat has been released. Tip the gnocchi into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or until starting to brown a little, stirring them carefully to ensure they don’t break up. Transfer the cooked gnocchi to a plate and set aside. Combine the stock and cream in a jug and pour the mixture into the pan. Season well with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tarragon and frozen peas, then cook for a further 2 minutes or until the peas are warmed through and tender. Return the gnocchi to the pan, gently stir into the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the gnocchi are warmed through. Serve immediately.
COOK’S TIP
You can make this dish vegetarian by omitting the bacon, although you may want to add a little saltiness by grating over some vegetarian Italian hard cheese.
Harissa Couscous Salad with Goat’s Cheese
On the first day I started recipe testing for my friend Xanthe Clay, she asked me to add collecting harissa to the list of things we needed to do that day. I am mildly ashamed to say I thought that meant collecting her daughter from school. It was, in fact, to make a version of this salad, which I adored the moment I tasted it. I’ve added the stock cube, peas and lime.
Vegetarian
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a light lunch or side
• 225g couscous
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 150g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp rose harissa (or slightly less if using a spicy harissa)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
• 60g wild rocket
• 150g goat’s cheese (the softer variety, and vegetarian, if necessary), cut into chunks
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl with the lime zest. Squeeze the lime juice into a jug, then add the stock cube and enough boiling water to make it up to 250ml. Pour this stock over the couscous and leave for 5 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed the water. Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Place the frozen peas in a heatproof bowl and cover them with freshly boiled water to defrost. Leave for a few minutes or until fully thawed. Drain the peas, then fold them through the couscous. In a small bowl, combine the harissa and tomato paste with a teaspoon of water, then season with a good pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold this paste through the couscous and peas until everything is well coated. Arrange the rocket over a serving platter, cover the leaves with the couscous and peas, then scatter over the chunks of goat’s cheese.
An edited extract from The Frozen Peas Cookbook, by Samuel Goldsmith (Murdoch Books, $45).
