January can be a bit of a bleak month, the festivities are now well and truly over and it's cold outside. A warming soup is just what I need at this time of the year. This easy to make pea soup has a lovely fresh flavour from the addition of watercress, and the apple gives it a slight tang which I think is delicious. It not just a soup for cold winter days either as it is also delicious served chilled in summer.

• Quick and Easy
• Cheap and Cheerful
• Vegetarian
• Hot or cold
• Freezer Friendly

I don't know about you but right now I want quick, easy, light but tasty meals.  Soup fits the bill perfectly. It is souper (excuse the pun) easy to make and ideal for a light meal, served with some chunks of fresh crusty bread. If it's just me and the family that is all we need.

A little bit of cream and a sprinkling of chopped parsley, and you have spruced it up enough so that it wouldn't look out of place served as a starter for a dinner party.

Being winter here in the UK, I have styled the soup in chunky dishes on a rustic background but this soup wouldn't be out of place on a summer table either. Adding a crisp apple gives a fresh taste to the soup which would also be delicious served chilled or at room temperature. In which case I would serve it in more delicate china bowls, perhaps with some melba toast instead of the crusty bread. But for now I'm sticking with this winter look and am just off to tuck into a bowl of piping hot soup. Just what I need right now.

Step by step Pea and Watercress Soup

Pea and Watercress Soup

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Easy to make, this versatile soup can be served hot in winter and cold in summer.

Course Soup

Cuisine English

Skill Level very easy

Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 4

Calories 228

Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Ingredients

• 25 g butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 500 g frozen peas
• 1 small bramley or Granny Smith apple peeled cored and chopped
• 1 litre water
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 100 g water cress
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cream and chopped parsley to serve (optional)

metric - US cups

Instructions

• Melt the butter in saucepan with the oil and add the onions. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
• Add the peas and apple and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the water and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the watercress and blitz with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth.
• Adjust seasoning and serve or chill until required.

Notes

Nutrition information is approximate and is meant as a guideline only. (It does not include seasoning with salt and pepper or garnish.) 

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1935IU | Vitamin C: 66.9mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.1mg

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If you like soup as much as me you might like to try out some of my other soups