Creamy Green Pea Soup with Crisp Croutons and Herb Oil Recipe

Outdoor tip: make soup ahead of time and store it in a thermos for a hot, satisfying lunch.

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups pre-cooked green peas
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 5 oz sourdough bread, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1/2 oz fresh chopped herbs, e.g. oregano, thyme and dill
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt flakes and black pepper

Start with the croutons. Heat the oven to 350˚F. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and minced garlic. Drizzle the garlic oil over the bread slices. Put the bread on a baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and crisp, about 10 min. Let cool, break up into smaller pieces and put them in an airtight container.

Melt butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook until soft, stirring frequently so they don’t burn, about 5 minutes.

Add the peas, salt and pepper. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy. Add in heavy cream and stir to thicken up.

Serve in Swedish Kåsa, drizzle with herb oil and top with crispy croutons.