Pea and Mascarpone Soup - Erin

This is a wonderful, and wonderfully simple and fast soup recipe that I adapted from a British cookbook.  It has a gorgeous color and a delicious flavor.  Mascarpone cheese is a thick, luscious Italian cheese with similarities to heavy cream, cream cheese and sour cream.  It is readily available in most grocery stores these days—it comes in a tub near the specialty cheeses. Serve with a loaf of nice crusty bread. 

Serves 2

what you'll need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1-2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1-1/4 cup frozen peas 

4 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

2 Tbsp fresh basil or mint, chopped (I prefer basil and use much more than 2 Tbsp)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan, sauté onion for about 5 minutes til softened but not colored.  Add stock, and as soon as it’s boiling, add the peas.  Return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir in the mascarpone and basil/mint and season with salt and pepper.  Blitz the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Serve with some chunky bread.