English pea and mint soup

• 1 onion chopped
•   2medium potato , peeled and diced
•   2 garlic clove , crushed
• 850ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 900g  peas in the pod (to give about 250g/9oz shelled peas)
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• large pinch caster sugar 

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil and a little butter to a pan and fry the onion and after a couple of minutes the garlic until soft. Add.the potato and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, add the peas and simmer for 15 / 20 minutes or until the potato and peas are soft. 
2. Stir in the mint, sugar and a little lime juice if you like, cool slightly then pour into a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until as smooth as you like.taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with drops of cream if desired.