Ingredients

Serves 4

Two cups peas
Head of lettuce
1 large finely chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
2 x Massel stock-cubes (vegetable)
A decent dollop of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Rita's Famous Pea and Lettuce Soup
This recipe is a variation on the one I inherited from my God-motherish friend Rita. Her original recipe doesn't include the onion, garlic, ginger or spices: it is pure lettuce, peas, stock, water and magic! This one is for days when you need a little more "kick".

 

Pop your decent dollop of butter into a big old saucepan, and watch it melt.
Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and onion, and fry them up until they smell good and the onion is a little-bit see-through.
Add two cups of peas, shuffle them around the pan for a few minutes (if you like really, really thick soup, add three cups: I dare you).
Wash the lettuce, no need to dry it: just rip it off into chunks and pop it in the pan.
Fill your kettle, pop it on the boil, and go back to shuffling things around your pan.
Soon, it will go all soggy and you'll find yourself thinking "How can this possibly be a good thing?"
At this stage, pour enough hot water to cover the lettuce. Then a little bit more. And add the two stock-cubes (don't you love crumbling them?).
Let it simmer for a little while, but not too long or the peas end up looking not as green as you'd hope they would look.
Turn off the heat, let the soup cool down for a little bit.
Then, as Rita says, "zsooozsch it", which is otherwise known as "apply a hand-held food-processor until the soup is smooth".

Reheat and serve with traditional Challah bread, or crusty bread of any variety.