Peas Be Upon Us All

Lemony Minted Fresh Pea Soup
We'd lingered too long at home before heading out to run errands on a recent Saturday morning, and by the time we had returned home from our "in town" business we were famished. In a matter of 20 minutes we were sitting under the apple tree to this sprightly verdant soup. I've waited nearly that long at a fast-food drive up window, but with provisions as delightful and simple as this, why would I ever again do that?

King Estate's 2008 Signature Viognier provided a lovely counterpoint with its juicy pineapple and honeysuckle notes. This wine is highly aromatic and has a snappy balance. King Estate is a quintessential Oregon winery that produces highly consistent wines that appear on wine lists throughout the U. S. There are many reasons to like King Estate wines, and this lovely Viognier is one of them. Another is that the winery is only 45 minutes through the countryside from our home.

Lemony Minted Fresh Pea Soup

3 green onions, sliced thinly, including some of the green ends
2 tablespoons butter
One pound shelled peas,
One cup half-and-half, more or less, to suit your fancy
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped, more for garnish
Zest of half of one lemon, additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a small soup pot. Just before it reaches a good bubbling, add the green onion. Stir frequently to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Add peas, mint and cream. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 4 minutes. The goal is to barely cook the peas but retain their fresh brightness; too much time on the stove will turn them a dull dingy gray-green. Stir in lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. Add more warmed cream to thin the soup as desired.

If you are serving this to The Queen, strain through a fine mesh strainer for maximum silkiness. If you are sharing this on a late Saturday afternoon under the apple tree with your baby, you can skip that step. Garlicky crostini and a hunk of Canadian white cheddar rounds the meal out nicely.

Comments

  1. I love pea soup. I have never had it with lemon and mint. I am going to have to try it!

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  2. Peas be upon you, too! :) I really want to try this...and love Viognier, so will look for King Estate.

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  3. this looks just perfect for spring. lemon and peas is such a refreshing combination. looks great!

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  4. Um, YUM! Love the comment about the Queen ;)

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  5. Yes indeed! This is a top notch recipe. I am making this on Sunday for dinner and then lunches during the week!

    I love Viognier and just don't see enough of it in my local stores. I made a great one in 2007 and haven't been able to repeat that after trying again in 2008 and 2009. I am using Viognier in a white blend I will be making later in the month. I'll come back to try to make a good varietal again some day.

    Jason

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  6. This looks so fresh and perfect for summer! Great recipe.

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  7. This sounds great! I've never had lemon and mint in my pea soup but I think it would definitely give it a fresh taste! Perfect as a cool soup for a hot summer day I bet!

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  8. What a great recipe! Just came across your blog and I am loving it!

    You now have a new follower!

    xo

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  9. Ohh, that sounds amazing! I love soups, it keeps you warm :)

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  10. You guys have fresh new peas over there already?? I am jealous. I go to the Boulder Farmers Market every Saturday longing and hoping that the new peas will be there. Last week I bought a bag of mint hoping that I will also find peas- no luck. We were forced to use the mint for mojitos. Pretty soon though we'll get the beautiful spring peas and I will surely attempt to add lemon to the peas and mint mixture I already had in mind!

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  11. Hello; this is very refreshing soup, delicious in spring time and summer; you live in a beautiful area of the U.S.; I visited it once, long time ago, but I have good memories until now.

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  12. This does look luscious! Your photography is always so inviting. I'm intrigued by the lemony, mint soup. Going to the "to-try" list soon.

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  13. I just made the soup and although I have to wait until tomorrow night to have it for dinner my taste of it to get the seasoning right made me very happy.

    Thank You!

    Jason

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  14. Oh that looks just gorgeous... So fresh and summery. wish we weren't going into winter here in SA!
    Robyn

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  15. Sounds like a delightfully fresh soup - mint and peas just screams "spring" to me.
    Can't wait for the fresh peas to make an appearance so that I can try this out... just a couple of weeks to go, hopefully. :)

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  16. I just adore the simpler things of life that are fresh, green and slightly rich. Fit for a queen whether I strain or not. A soup I must make this week.

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  17. Cherry mustard pork sounds amazing! Mouthwatering...

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