I call both of my girls “Sweet Pea.” My Mom called me “Sweet Pea” too. So when I was working on a recipe to use up the last of my buttermilk and stumbled on this tempting combination of peas and mint, I couldn’t help but give it a cute name: Sweet Pea Soup!
Peas and mint are a natural springtime match-up. This soup comes together in half an hour, and with another half hour to chill, it will be ready to eat. I used both frozen peas and pea pods (which are all over my Farmer’s Market, and probably yours, too.) If you can’t find pea pods, just double the frozen peas and use a full pound. The recipe calls for you to strain the blended soup, which gives it a more silky, smooth texture. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry, or if you like a little thicker body to your soup. Either way I think you’ll love it, and so will all the “Sweet Pea’s” in your life!
Sweet Pea Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pea pods, any kind
- 1 onion (sweet Vidalia would be nice, but I just used a regular white onion), chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces frozen peas
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 handful mint leaves (save a few pretty ones for garnish)
- salt to taste
Directions:
- In a large pot, heat the pea pods and onion in the butter. Cook over medium heat for ten minutes until the onion is getting soft.
- Add the frozen peas and chicken stock. Cook on medium for ten minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Pour in buttermilk and mint. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a large blender and blend in batches until smooth. Taste and add salt to your liking.
- Strain the soup through a mesh sieve (or not, your choice.) Cool in the refrigerator for half an hour. Serve chilled, with additional mint leaves for garnish.
Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana
To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!
