Ingredients
Method
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
- Add frozen peas and stock to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the peas are tender and bright green.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add fresh mint leaves and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth; blend in batches carefully if using a standard blender.
- Stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the consistency with a splash of warm water or stock if the soup is too thick.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with an optional dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh mint or cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
Ingredient Choice: I prefer using frozen peas over fresh ones here because they are picked at their peak and always result in that stunning, bright green color I love.
Garlic Timing:
Be careful not to let the garlic brown when you add it to the pan: I have learned the hard way that even a slightly toasted garlic clove can overpower the delicate sweetness of the mint.
Blender Safety: If you are using a standard upright blender instead of an immersion one, I suggest blending in very small batches and leaving the lid slightly cracked to let the steam escape so you do not have any messy kitchen accidents.
Texture Control: If the soup feels a bit too thick after blending, I usually stir in a tablespoon of warm stock at a time until it reaches a consistency that coats the back of my spoon perfectly.
Make Ahead Tip: If you want to prep this in advance, I suggest blending the peas and stock first and then adding the mint and crème fraîche right before you serve to keep the flavor as fresh as possible.
Reheating Advice: When you reheat any leftovers, do it gently over low heat and avoid letting the soup come to a rolling boil, which helps keep the crème fraîche from breaking and maintains that beautiful texture.
Serving Suggestion: I always serve this with thick slices of crusty bread because there is nothing better than using a piece of toast to swipe up every last drop of soup from the bottom of the bowl.