Minty Pea Soup

By LRay

This is a far cry from army-green split pea soup. Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, and the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup looking and tasting bright. Delicious warm or chilled, it's a springtime staple.

6 servings

Recipe by Canal House

Photograph by Hirsheimer & Hamilton

Bon Appetit, April 2013, page 66.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
• 6 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 6 pounds pods) or frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 crème fraîche or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
• Chopped fresh chives (for serving)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes for fresh peas, about 2 minutes for frozen.

Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve warm soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.