RECIPE :: Pea soup with cumin, red pepper and rosemary

(4 servings)

Ingredients
Stock
2tbsp of olive oil,
2 small potatoes (roughly chopped);
2 medium carrots (roughly chopped);
1 medium onion (roughly chopped);
3 cloves of garlic (quartered),
10cm sprig of fresh rosemary and
1500ml of water.

Soup
1tsp of cumin seeds,
4tbsp of olive oil,
1 medium onion (finely chopped),
1 red pepper (finely chopped),
350g of frozen peas,
1tsp of salt,
250ml of milk,
½ tsp of pepper and
a few chopped chives.

Method

1) To make the stock; fry the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic with the olive oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
2) Pour the water and rosemary in with the fried vegetables and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.
3) Strain the stock, squeezing out the moisture from the vegetables, keep the rosemary leaves. You should have about 1000ml of the stock.
4) To make the soup; dry fry and crush the cumin seeds.
5) Fry the onions with the olive oil over a low/medium heat for 5 minutes.
6) Add the pepper and cumin seeds to the frying pan and fry for a further 5 minutes.
7) In a saucepan place the stock, milk, peas and the onion mixture and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
8) Place the soup into a blender and whiz away until smooth.
9) Add the salt and pepper then serve with the chopped chives to garnish.