Vegetarian Green Pea and Mint Soup

Green peas and fresh mint pair perfectly in this springtime soup. The taste of green pea and mint soup is very different from a salty split pea soup or a bacon-flavored stew. There's no meat involved, and there's no seasoning other than fresh herbs.

This is a vegetarian recipe with lots of flavor. Thanks to the mint, it's a rare warm soup that happens to be as refreshing as it is satisfying.

• 1 large onion
• 1 (16-ounce) package of fresh or frozen green peas
• 3 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint (or about 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves)
• 2 tablespoons of cream or half and half

• Knife and cutting surface
• Large stew pot
• Long-handled spoon for stirring
• Blender

1. Chop the onion into small chunks.
2. Thoroughly brown the onion in the butter over low heat.
3. When the onion is soft, add the water and the frozen peas.
4. Cook the peas for over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add more water if it's needed to keep the peas covered.
5. Remove the peas from the stove and add the fresh mint. Allow the soup to cool until it is lukewarm.
6. Carefully pour part of the soup into the blender. Blend the soup until it is smooth.
7. Finish blending the rest of the soup and reheat it, if necessary.
8. Add the cream and serve. Garnish with fresh mint.

Note: Be very cautious when blending warm liquids. A painful KABOOM! of hot soup is possible. (Don't fill the blender more than halfway at once, and don't clamp the lid on tightly.)

Variations

• Make it with meat: If you don't care one way or the other about eating meat, this recipe also works with chicken broth instead of water. Make sure to use a lightly seasoned and lightly salted chicken broth—it's easier to appreciate the pairing of peas and mint that way.
• Skip the dairy: This soup is still tasty if you leave out the cream. If you do this, you may want to use a little less water or a little more onion to keep the soup from being too thin.