Minty Pea Soup Recipes

PEA & MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Put the spring onions into a large pan with the potato, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is very soft. For the garnish, blanch 3 tbsp of the shelled peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, put in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Add the remaining peas to the soup base and simmer for 5 minutes - no longer, or you will lose the lovely fresh flavour of the peas.
• Stir in the mint, sugar and lemon or lime juice, cool slightly then pour into a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until as smooth as you like. Stir in half the buttermilk or soured cream, taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve the soup cold, cool quickly, then chill - you may need to add more stock to the soup before serving as it will thicken as it cools. To serve hot, return the soup to the rinsed-out pan and reheat without boiling (to prevent the buttermilk or soured cream from curdling).
• Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the remaining buttermilk and the drained peas.

MINTY PEA SOUP

Steps:

• 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.

GREEN PEA AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the 4 chopped green onions, and cook until softened, but not brown. Stir in the peas, vegetable stock, and 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat back to low, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. If you are using frozen peas, 15 minutes is enough.
• Using a large slotted spoon, remove about 3 tablespoons of the peas, and set aside for garnish. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor along with the milk, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in a pinch of sugar if desired. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
• Pour the soup into 4 serving bowls. Swirl 1 tablespoon of light cream into each one, then garnish with reserved peas and sprigs of mint.

FRESH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
• *Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.

COLD MINTED PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat the olive oil. When hot, add the onion, cover and simmer gently for about 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add the lettuce and stir just until wilted. Add the 2 cups of water and peas and bring just to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Puree through a food mill or in a food processor with the mint, then add enough ice water or cream to thin to the desired consistency. Chill until serving time. Before serving, adjust the seasoning and serve garnished with chives and yogurt if you wish.

FRESH PEA SOUP WITH MINT

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large kettle over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes until onions have softened. Sir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until its aroma is released. Add the potatoes and saute 5 minutes until they begin to color. Add the chicken stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add the peas and cook 3 minutes until tender but still bright green. Puree the mixture either through a food mill, with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, until smooth. Place in a clean pot, stir in the cream, and rewarm gently. Stir in the fresh mint and serve.
• In Portugal, this soup is often made with fresh fava beans. Use them if you can find them. Mint (horteln) grows abundantly in Portugal and is widely used in savory dishes, frequently in combination with coriander (coentro).

MINTY PEA & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the potatoes and stock, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins until tender, adding the peas 2 mins before the end of the cooking time.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove a quarter of the vegetables from the pan and set aside. Blend the remaining vegetables and stock in a food processor or using a hand blender until smooth, then stir through the reserved veg, chopped mint and some seasoning. Serve with bread on the side.

MINTED PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Thinly slice the spring onions, reserving some of the green tops for garnish. Heat the butter, fry the spring onions for 1 min until slightly softened. Add the peas and stock, then bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 5 mins, then whizz half the soup in a food processor. Return to the pan with the crème fraîche. Reheat gently, taste and add pepper, and salt if it needs it. Ladle into small bowls or cups and saucers, then sprinkle with the reserved spring onion tops.

EASY PEA & MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Tip the frozen peas into a blender and pour over the hot water from a kettle. Leave the peas to defrost, then reserve 1 tbsp peas. Add a handful mint and the vegetable bouillon powder to the rest. Blitz until smooth, then chill. Serve, drizzled with cream and scattered with some chopped mint and the reserved peas.

SPRING PEA SOUP WITH MINT

Steps:

• Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until just before it
• starts to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the peas, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and boiling water. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the peas are tender, about 2 minutes.
• Let the pea mixture cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Add the spinach and mint. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender you may need to blend the soup in two or three batches.
• Return the soup to the saucepan and adjust its consistency as desired, adding room temperature water if it's too thick. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the soup hot or place the soup in an ice bath for about 20 minutes and serve chilled. Top with pea shoots, chives or mint.