Mini Magic: Peas soup for a healthy monsoon
Try this recipe for all it health benefits
It is the season of soups! With the monsoon marking its presence quite noticeably this year, it is excellent to indulge in healthy recipes. Some commonly found vegetables in this season include peas, bitter gouard, Indian squash,potato, and asparagus to name a few.
We bring to you a recipe by Dr Eileen Canday, Head of Department, Nutrition and Dietetics, Reliance Foundation Hospital that helps to tantalize your taste buds!
Asparagus and Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 350 g asparagus
- 150 g fresh garden peas
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- cup milk
- 7 cups cold water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- Ground black pepper
Method
- Cut the woody ends from the asparagus and set the spears aside. Roughly chop the woody ends and place them in a large pan. Add the bay leaf, carrot, celery and the cold water to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30
minutes. Strain the stock and discard the vegetables.
- Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside, then cut the stems into short pieces.
- Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the asparagus stems, peas and chopped parsley. Pour in the prepared stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 6-8 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Season with black
pepper.
- Cool the soup slightly, then puree it in a blender until smooth. Press the puree through a very fine sieve into a pan.
- Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the asparagus tips for about 2- 3 minutes until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Reheat the soup, but do not allow it to boil.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the asparagus tips.
Why peas?
Let's agree that we underestimate the power of this mini vegetable. The vegetable, that we relish as a part of 'mattar pulao', 'aloo mattar' 'paratha', 'mattar sabzi,'mattar paneer' is more than just an addition to your meal. Here are 5 of it sure-shot benefits:
- Good for your skin- Collagen in peas is excellent for skin firming and glowing.
- Heart health- It reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes as it contains insoluble fibre.
- Strengthens your immunity- Peas are a rich source of Vitamin C that helps in boosting your immunity.
- Enhances digestion- Peas have a good amount of fibre which helps in smoothing the bowel regularity.
- Aids weight- loss- Anything with a high fibre content helps in weight reduction by upping your satiety level. Also peas are super low on calories, for example, 100 gms of peas only contain 81 calories.
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