Home › The Principles of Cookery › Peas, Green, Soup

Peas, Green, Soup

In making green peas soup it is most important that the peas used should neither be old nor of inferior quality, or the flavour of the soup will be spoilt. They are best when they are almost fully grown. Shell a peck of green peas and put aside about a handful of these to be used as hereafter directed. Put the rest into a stewpan with four ounces of fresh butter, a fresh lettuce finely shredded, a small sprig of mint (if the flavour be not disliked), a moderate-sized onion, a tea-spoonful of salt, and a dozen leaves of spinach for colouring. Let the vegetables steam gently in the butter until they are quite soft, stirring occasionally to prevent their burning, then press them through a fine sieve, and mix with the pulp two quarts of clear stock or water. Return the soup to the saucepan, add a small lump of sugar and a dessert-spoonful of arrowroot, mix smoothly with water and stock to make half a pint. Stir this into the liquid, boil, and skim carefully. Whilst it is simmering, put into another saucepan of boiling water the handful of peas which were set aside with half a tea-spoonful of salt and half a tea-spoonful of powdered sugar. Let the peas boil until tender, then drain them well, and put them into the soup. Serve as hot as possible. Send a little powdered mint to table on a plate. Peas are so nourishing that stock is not needed for this soup, and the colour will be better if water be used. Sufficient for eight or nine persons. Probable cost, 1s. 6d. per quart.