Pea & Watercress Soup with Emmenthal Floating Islands

Name: Pea & Watercress Soup with Emmenthal Floating Islands
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 600 ml (1 pint, 2½ cups) milk; 75 g (3 oz, ¾ cup) Emmenthal cheese, freshly grated, plus extra to serve; Salt & freshly ground black pepper; 450 g (1 lb, 4 cups) shelled fresh or frozen peas; 50 g (2 oz, 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter; 150 ml (¼ pint, ⅔ cup) double cream; 1 litre (1¾ pints, 4 cups) Chicken Stock; 2 bunches of watercress, tough stalks removed; 1 leek, roughly chopped; 2 egg whites; 50 g (2 oz, ½ cup) onion, roughly chopped

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

A Passion for Cheese

By Paul Gayler

Published 1997

About

These cloud-like cheese meringues not only taste great but also make a lovely presentation for this delicate, peppery-tasting pea soup.

Ingredients

50 g (2 oz, 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
50

Soup
Gluten-free

Method

Heat the butter in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and leek and cook gently for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the peas and simmer until tender - the cooking time will depend on whether you are using fresh or frozen peas. Stir in the watercress, then pour the soup into a blender and blitz until very smooth. For a more refined finish, strain it through a f