Chilled Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Crème Fraîche and Chives

Ingredients

• 600 sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 500 ml cold vegetable stock
• 120 g crème fraîcheor use full-fat soured cream
• 1 cloves garlic, peeled
• 20 g fresh chives, finely snipped, plus extra to serve
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Contains: milk.

Method

1. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare a large bowl of iced water and set it next to the hob.About 3 min
2. Drop the sugar snap peas into the boiling water and blanch for exactly 2 minutes. Immediately drain and plunge them into the iced water. Leave for 2 minutes to cool completely, then drain thoroughly.About 4 min
3. Put the blanched sugar snaps into a blender with the cold vegetable stock, 80g of the crème fraîche, the garlic clove, chives, lemon juice, salt and white pepper. Blend on high speed for at least 90 seconds until completely smooth.About 2 min
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning — the soup should be bright, sweet and well-seasoned. If it seems too thick, add cold stock or water a splash at a time. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve if you want a very elegant, smooth result; leave it as-is for a more rustic texture.About 2 min
5. Refrigerate the soup for at least 30 minutes until thoroughly cold, or place it in the freezer for 10 minutes if you're in a hurry. Serve in chilled bowls with a spoonful of the remaining crème fraîche, a scatter of snipped chives and a drizzle of olive oil if using.