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Bright green wild garlic and pea soup in a white bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds and an olive oil swirl

Wild Garlic and Pea Soup with Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds

Key takeaways: it takes 30 minutes in one pot, stays vegan, and the wild garlic goes in for the last minute only. The soup keeps 3-4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: British
Calories: 301
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
  • 1 yellow onion medium (150 g); finely diced
  • 200 g floury potato, such as Maris Piper or Russet (1 medium); peeled, cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 750 ml vegetable stock (3 cups)
  • 500 g frozen peas (about 3 1/3 cups); no need to thaw
  • 100 g wild garlic leaves packed; washed, thick stems trimmed, roughly torn
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice from about 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
To finish
  • 30 g raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (3 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml); for drizzling

Method
 

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 24 cm / 9.5-inch (4-quart / 3.8 L) pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of the salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned.
  2. Add the potato and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer with the lid slightly ajar. Cook for 10 minutes, until a cube crushes easily against the side of the pot.
  3. While the potato simmers, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry 20 cm / 8-inch skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until they pop and smell nutty. Tip them onto a plate.
  4. Stir the frozen peas into the pot, return to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, until bright green and tender. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the wild garlic and let it wilt for 1 minute.
  5. Blend straight away until completely smooth, about 1 minute with an immersion blender. For a countertop blender, work in two batches, fill the jar no more than halfway and hold a towel over the vented lid.
  6. Stir in the lemon juice, the remaining salt and the pepper, then taste and adjust. Thin with a splash of hot water if it's thicker than you like. Ladle into 4 bowls, top with the toasted seeds and drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.

Notes

  • Use frozen peas straight from the freezer, no thawing needed.
  • Add the wild garlic last and blend within 1 minute for the greenest soup.
  • Season after blending, then taste again once the soup has cooled a little.
  • Smell-check every handful of foraged leaves before washing and cooking.