Minted Sweet Pea Soup
This is a delightfully light tasting, yet filling, soup for a summertime lunch or dinner. Start with one teaspoon of snipped mint, blend, taste, then add more if you desire. You don’t want the mint to overpower the sweet peas. I will substitute half-and-half for the milk when I want it to be extra creamy.
1/3 cup butter
1 lb peas (either fresh and shelled or frozen)
1/2 cup water
1 bunch green onions, cleaned and chopped fine
2 1/2 cups milk (or half-and-half if preferred)
1 to 2 tsp fresh mint, snipped
Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the green onions and chop them finely. Set some of the green top pieces aside for topping the soup when serving.
In a medium-sized saucepan melt the butter on a low heat and add the peas, water, and green onions. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes if you’re using fresh peas, or 5 to 10 minutes if you’re using frozen peas. Don’t let the peas over cook; you just want them tender, not mushy.
Remove pan from the burner, let it cool down a bit and then add the milk and the mint. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
Then, pour the soup in a blender and blend until smooth. Return it to a saucepan and reheat the soup gently, until just heated through. Don’t let it boil.
Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onion tops on the soup when served.