Chilled Pea, Pear and Cucumber Soup

• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 medium white onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 7 oz frozen peas
• 3 cups light chicken stock (if you want a totally vegetarian version, use vegetable bouillon) salt and pepper
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp chopped mint (apple mint is particularly good here)
• Serve with pears, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a roomy pan and add the onion.
2. Allow to stew quietly for 5 minutes or so and then add the cucumber.
3. Stir in and cook both until limp and tender.
4. Tip in the peas and stock and bring to a boil.
5. Skim off any resultant scum that forms on the surface, season, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Puree with the pears in a blender and then pass through a sieve into a bowl.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature and then stir in the cream.
8. Adjust the seasoning once more if necessary and place in the fridge, covered, until really cold; there is nothing worse than a tepid cold soup.
9. Ladle into chilled soup bowls and sprinkle with mint.

butter, white onions, cucumber, frozen peas, light chicken, whipping cream, mint

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/chilled-pea-pear-and-cucumber-soup (may not work)