Sweet Pea Soup with Mint Pesto
Kitchen Tested 
- Yield 6 to 8 servings
- Prep 5 mins
- Cook 35 mins
Fresh green peas make this a stellar spring soup. Frozen peas will work, too.
If you use frozen peas, buy the petite variety; they're sweeter than larger peas.
Ingredients
- Pesto:
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
- 1 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Soup:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (3 to 4 medium), peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups shelled fresh or frozen green peas
- 1 head butterhead (Bibb) lettuce (about 4 cups, loosely packed)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To prepare pesto, place mint, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Pulse to roughly chop. With motor running, pour in olive oil. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add almonds, cheese, salt and pepper. Purée until smooth, about 1 minute. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.
- To prepare soup, melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and celery; cook 5 minutes.
- Add broth and peas and bring to a low boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add lettuce and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in mint, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
- Working in batches, pour soup into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm or chilled with a teaspoon of Mint Pesto spooned onto each serving. (You’ll have pesto left over). The soup will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 3 days.
Reprinted with permission from Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster’s Market by Sara Foster (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2005).
