Fresh Pea Hummus

This idea is inspired by a sandwich I had in Pret a Manger the other day (I do have a fondness for their sandwiches) which featured pea hummus and feta and was really fresh, summery and different. Anyway, it got me thinking about making a pea hummus to eat with crudites and pitta strips – as I’ve mentioned before Little S is allergic to sesame so commercial hummus is out of the question and I’ve never made a good tahini-free version – hopefully they’ll like this as much as me and enjoy it for a summery post-swimming supper!

Pea Hummus (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, sesame-free, soya-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes a bowlful

• 250g frozen peas
• 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps lemon juice
• 1/4-1/2 clove of garlic, minced (or more if you like garlic a lot!)
• good pinch of salt and grind of pepper
• Optional: sprig of mint, finely chopped or 1/2 red chilli, finely chopped

– Defrost the peas by running under a warm tap.

– Place in a food processor with the garlic and puree, adding the oil and lemon as the machine is running.

– Season and then pulse again until as smooth as possible

– Check the seasoning ( you do need a fair amount of salt and lemon to counteract the sweetness of the peas)

– Serve, drizzled with extra olive oil

– Optional: add a sprig of fresh mint, finely chopped while the machine is running. Or possibly a little fresh red chilli.