Chilled Pea Soup Recipe from Raven & Rose | Tasting Table
Prep Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Servings:
6 servings
Ingredients
  • Ice
  • 5 cups shelled peas
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus extra if needed
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 sweet onion, such as a Vidalia or Walla Walla, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups cold vegetable broth
  • 6 fresh mint leaves
  • Crème Fraîche
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 fresh lavender sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried lavender
  • ¼ cup crème fraîche
Directions
  1. Make the soup: Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. To a medium saucepan of boiling water, add the peas and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Cook until the peas are tender, 1 to 2 minutes, then strain them in a fine-mesh sieve and plunge the sieve into the ice water to stop the cooking. Once the peas are cool, transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
  2. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the onion, 1 teaspoon of the salt and the white pepper. Cook the onion, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes (if the onion begins to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low). Stir in the garlic and cook until translucent and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the onion mixture to a large plate to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, infuse the crème fraîche: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add the heavy cream. Once the cream comes to a simmer, add the lavender, cover the saucepan and turn off the heat. Let the cream infuse for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve (discard the lavender) and into a small bowl. Refrigerate the lavender-infused cream until cooled, about 15 minutes, then add the crème fraîche, stirring until smooth.
  4. To a blender jar, add the peas, the cooled onion mixture and the cold vegetable broth. Purée to combine. Add the mint and purée; then, with the blender running, drizzle in the remaining scant ½ cup of olive oil very slowly until the mixture is thick and creamy. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve, taste and add more salt if needed. Divide among 6 cold soup bowls. Serve topped with a spoonful of the lavender crème fraîche.