Pea Potage with Carrots, Chiles, and Mint
For years, I’ve made smooth pureed pea soups; they’re always a hit at my restaurants. Recently, I was inspired by my mom to try something new. While visiting New York with my dad, she made a chunky pea and carrot stew with slab bacon and cabbage. I decided to go vegetarian here—doing away with even the chicken stock and creating a tea-like herb infusion instead—and to puree only part of the ingredients, making a light pureed soup with whole peas and sliced carrots scattered throughout. The result is a bowl of spring.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Sourdough Croutons
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are just tender but not browned, about 15 minutes.
Step 2
Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Crush the mint, rosemary, and thyme in your hands and wrap tightly in cheesecloth. Submerge in the water, cover the saucepan, and let steep for 1 hour.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving a bit of the cooking water, and immediately transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again well, at least 10 minutes.
Step 4
Put half of the peas in a food processor or blender. Puree until extremely smooth, adding a little liquid from the saucepan if needed and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.
Step 5
Remove and discard the sachet of herbs from the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and add the remaining whole peas. Cook just until the peas are heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pea puree and return to a simmer. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Ladle into serving bowls. Top with the chile, sliced mint, and croutons.
Sourdough Croutons
Step 7
If broiling, arrange the broiler rack 4 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Put the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle generously with oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Begin checking at 1 minute and stir or turn to brown evenly. If sautéing, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with oil and add the bread. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
c’est bon
Step 8
When fresh peas are not in season (honestly, about eleven months of the year), you can use 5 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas instead. Omit the blanching step and proceed as above, cooking the whole peas just until heated through, about 1 minute.
