Trade secret

Enjoy a taste of spring in the heart of winter

The secret to making this creamy, springlike soup is using frozen peas.
The secret to making this creamy, springlike soup is using frozen peas.

In the depths of winter, it can sometimes seem as if springtime will never come. Winds blow cold. Snow blankets fields of earth so hard that you can’t imagine vegetables will ever grow again. The only truly soothing warmth you can reliably find usually comes from the kitchen stove.

So now is the perfect time for you to make fresh pea soup.

Pea soup in the middle of winter? Yes, you read that correctly. And I don’t mean thick, gray-green, porridge-like soup made from dried split peas — the kind of soup you might find on so many diner menus at this time of year. I mean bright-green, fresh-tasting pea soup that sings with the flavors of springtime while warming and soothing you with every delicious spoonful.

I’m sure you’re thinking that would be impossible, since fresh peas won’t be available for soup-making until the ground thaws and springtime is here again. So I’ll let you in on a little secret that many chefs won’t tell you: Except at the very peak of spring, the “fresh” peas you’ll find in restaurants may well be frozen ones.

That isn’t scandalous, unless, of course, the waiter and cooks swear to you that they are fresh when they’re indeed frozen. Because frozen peas, especially the little baby ones often labeled “petite” peas or “petits pois,” as the French call them, can have the best flavor and texture of any frozen vegetable I know. And you can quickly, easily turn them into a beautiful, creamy soup.

To underscore the sense of springtime freshness my creamy pea soup delivers, I like to garnish it with a dollop of Greek yogurt flavored with fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh mint leaves. (Fresh basil leaves would also be delicious instead.) Feel free to use low-fat or nonfat yogurt, as your own dietary needs may require. Also, if you like, you can use much less of the cream called for in the recipe and more of the chicken stock or vegetable stock, to make a version lighter in fat. The natural starchiness of the peas themselves will still keep the soup tasting surprisingly rich.

Whatever choices you make, take care not to let the pureed soup sit on the stovetop for too long, or it will gradually discolor. If you don’t plan to serve it right away, cool down the soup quickly over an ice bath, which will help set the bright green color. Reheat the soup just before serving. You can even freeze individual portions in freezer containers. Or once spring arrives, serve this soup cold, and keep enjoying it on into the summer.

CREAMY PEA SOUP WITH MINT YOGURT

Serves 8

Mint Yogurt:

1 cup plain whole-milk, low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt

15 leaves fresh mint, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

Creamy Pea Soup:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium-sized organic leek, white and light-green parts only, cut lengthwise, thoroughly rinsed of all grit and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6 cups organic, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth, plus a little extra as needed

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon honey

20 ounces frozen organic green petite peas (usually 2 standard-sized bags)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Small sprigs fresh mint for garnish

Directions:

Up to several hours ahead of time, prepare the mint yogurt: In a nonreactive mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, chopped mint and honey. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate until serving time.

To make the base of the soup, in a large nonreactive saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the leek and garlic, reduce the heat to low, and saute, stirring frequently and taking care not to let the vegetables brown, until the leek has softened, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the stock or broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream, squeeze in the juice of the lemon, and add 2 teaspoons of the honey.

Stir in all but about 1/2 cup of the peas, reserving those for garnishing. Bring the liquid back to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the sweetness with up to 1 teaspoon more of the honey. Continue boiling until the peas are tender, about 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the stove. In a food processor or blender, working in batches to avoid overfilling, puree the soup, following the manufacturer’s instructions for working carefully with hot liquids. Add a little more stock, if necessary, to thin the consistency. As each batch is pureed, pour it into a clean pot. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

If you are making the soup ahead, transfer the hot puree to a heatproof bowl set inside a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water, and stir until completely cooled. Cover and refrigerate.

Before serving, melt the remaining butter with 1 tablespoon stock in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/2 cup peas, and saute just until heated through, about 3 minutes.

To serve the soup, gently reheat over medium-low heat. Ladle the hot soup into heated serving bowls. Gently slide some peas from a spoon held near the surface of the soup to float them in each bowl. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of the mint yogurt and sprigs of mint. Serve immediately.

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