A recipe for sugar snap, watercress and avocado soup

This week in our Simple Soups series, Beverley Hicks make a good-looking soup that can be served hot or chilled

This creamy green soup can be served either hot or chilled. The avocado is added at the last minute to ensure the beautiful green colour is preserved.

Ingredients (serves 4)

½ tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 red onion, diced

2 fat garlic cloves, minced

300g sugar snap peas, roughly chopped

750ml vegetable stock

300g watercress, roughly chopped

200ml crème fraîche

Himalayan pink salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 medium avocados

Juice of 1 lime

To garnish

A handful of shucked sugar snap peas

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Tip in the chopped sugar snap peas and sauté for a further 2 minutes.

Increase the heat, pour the vegetable stock into the pan, bring to the boil then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the watercress and stir until wilted. Blend with a stick blender until smooth then stir in the crème fraîche.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Halve the avocados, remove the stone and skin and dice the flesh. Put into a bowl and squeeze over the juice of 1 lime. Mix well to ensure all the avocado is coated, this will keep the flesh from discolouring.

When ready to serve, ladle (either hot or chilled) into bowls and add the chopped avocado. Garnish with a some shucked sugar snap peas and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

Follow Beverley on Instagram @thelittlechelseakitchen for more inspiration.