Ridiculously Easy Minted Pea Soup
The perfect starter for a spring dinner, this knockout of a soup is based on a traditional French recipe, potage Saint Germain. Don't confuse it with wintry split-pea soup: Starring English peas – petits pois – it's all about freshness and the flavor of the season. My version, kissed with fresh mint, has quite a lot going for it. It's vegetarian. It's so elegant you can serve it at the swankiest dinner party. And it's the easiest thing in the world to make, involving (besides water, salt, pepper and optional garnish) just four ingredients: lettuce, butter, mint and frozen peas. Yep, you read that right. Taste it, and you could swear someone spent half a day shelling fresh ones. Want to make more or fewer servings? Double the ingredients or cut them in half.
Want to serve it chilled, on a hot summer day? It’s fantastic like that, too; in that case, skip the crème fraîche and garnish it with torn mint leaves.
Serves 4-5.
Ingredients
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 head butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce, cored and sliced into thick shreds
2 pounds frozen peas (I like the tiny ones), defrosted
The leaves from 6 sprigs of mint (plus additional for garnish, if serving chlled)
11/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Crème frâiche for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over low heat. Add the lettuce, and wilt, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
2. Add the peas, stir to combine and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups water, the mint leaves and salt, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Use a stick blender to purée until it's completely smooth (alternatively, purée it in batches using a regular blender or food processor). Add freshly ground white pepper to taste, and adjust seasoning. If serving hot and garnishing with crème frâiche, whisk the crème fraîche first to thin it, then use a small spoon to swirl a little around the center of the bowl. If serving chilled, chill it in a covered container in the refrigerator several hours or overnight, and serve it garnished with torn mint leaves.
Ridiculously Easy Minted Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1 head butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce, cored and sliced into thick shreds
- 2 pounds frozen peas (I like the tiny ones), defrosted
- The leaves from 6 sprigs of mint (plus additional for garnish, if serving chilled)
- 11/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground white pepper
- Crème frâiche for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a soup pot over low heat. Add the lettuce, and wilt, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Add the peas, stir to combine and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Add 3 cups water, the mint leaves and salt, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Use a stick blender to purée until it's completely smooth (alternatively, purée it in batches using a regular blender or food processor). Add freshly ground white pepper to taste, and adjust seasoning. If serving hot and garnishing with crème frâiche, whisk the crème fraîche first to thin it, then use a small spoon to swirl a little around the center of the bowl. If serving chilled, chill it in a covered container in the refrigerator several hours or overnight, and serve it garnished with torn mint leaves.