This recipe originated from BonAppetit. Peas with mint are a traditional combination, but this soup takes it to a whole new delectable level! Vibrant spring green soup with mint and parsley made it perfect for lunch on the deck. On May 17, I posted Quick Chilled Pea Soup that also had mint with peas, but additionally it included spinach and garlic. Both soups are great, with this one being a bit more sweet.
My Lebanese mint is finally making a breakthrough in the herb garden. It was given to me by a friend who received it from a relative in Lebanon. She warned me that, like all mints, it is highly invasive, so I planted it in a pot in the herb garden to keep from spreading too much.
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| Lebanese Mint |
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| Chives on June 11 |
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| Parsley |
Of course, I needed to make some modifications to the original recipe to meet my needs. I used coconut oil rather than butter and I used non-fat Greek Fage yogurt rather than the sour cream and heavy cream that the original recipe mixed together and swirled into the soup.
On a side-note, at one of my medical appointments this week, I had more lab work done, including LDL levels. LDL is the "bad cholesterol", and the optimal level is below 100. Since I started using coconut oil about 4 years ago, my LDL has consistently been coming down. This time it was 85! Pzazz Hurray for coconut oil!
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 6 pounds pods) or frozen peas, thawed (I used 6 cups frozen peas)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground pepper
Garnishes:
1/4 non-fat Greek Fage
Chopped fresh chives
Preparation:
Melt oil 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. (I didn't add any additional salt, as I thought it was fine without it.)
Serve warm soup topped with chives mixed with Greek yogurt. I had the soup cold for lunch one day this week and it was just as delicious!
Nutrition per serving:
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| Chives on May 16 |
Calories: 173
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 213 mg
Total Carbs: 22 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 10 g
