Delicious pea soup recipe with baby peas, mint, cream, broth and shallots. Serve hot or cold.
Every time I take a cooking class with Sacramento Chef Evie Lieb, I’m inspired for weeks with new ideas and recipes to get the most out of the ingredients.
This summery pea soup is an Evie inspiration, a soup replica she often finds at restaurants across France during her summer travels.
Unlike pea soup, this soup uses frozen peas (petite peas are available at Trader Joe’s) and cooks in under half an hour.
It’s just as good cold as hot, so ideal for those warm summer days. An infusion of mint in the broth adds a delicious twist to the flavor of the peas.
summer pea soup
ingredients
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1 large shallot, chopped (about 3 tbsp)
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1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
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2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (for vegetarian option)
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2 sprigs of mint, about 6 inches total stem length
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1 pound frozen baby peas (available at Trader Joe’s)
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1/4 cup heavy cream
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Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
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Crème fraîche for garnish (can substitute sour cream diluted with heavy cream)
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Fresh mint strips for garnish
method
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Cook shallots in butter:
In a medium saucepan (2 1/2 to 3 quarts), melt the butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for a few minutes until tender but not browned.
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Add broth and mint, then peas:
Add the broth and mint sprigs to the shallots, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Add the frozen peas and salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until peas are just tender, 3-5 minutes.
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Discard the mint and puree the soup:
in a blender until completely smooth.
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Stir in cream:
taste and seasoning.
Reheat to serve warm or cool to serve cold. Serve garnished with crème fraîche and mint strips.
