Louise's Lettuce, Pea and Mint Soup

We will miss Louise as she traipses off back to London. But are thankful for having her in our swap, excited to see how her soup-swap-making escapades in London go, and are so amazed at how delicious her Lettuce, Pea and Mint Soup was! Here's the recipe, from The Guardian.

Lettuce, pea and mint soup

A good soup for a summer's day, bright green and not too filling. Serves 4.

a large, round lettuce about 400g
a thick slice of butter
2 shallots
500g shelled peas
stock - chicken, vegetable or water
3 bushy sprigs mint

Separate the lettuce leaves and stalks and wash thoroughly. Any grit will ruin the soup. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over a low to moderate heat. Peel the shallots and slice them thinly, then let them soften in the butter. When they are tender but have yet to colour, chop the lettuce up a bit and stir it into the butter. As soon as it has wilted, tip in the peas, the stock and the mint leaves and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, season with salt and black pepper, and leave to simmer for no longer than 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and blend the soup till smooth in a liquidiser. Check the seasoning then serve hot.