Chilled Fresh Pea Soup

Source: Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings

1 pound peas in pods
3 scallions, chopped
10 sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups chopped tender green lettuce leaves (Bishop recommends Bibb; I used plain green-leaf)
1/2 cup heavy cream
chopped chives

Shell the peas and reserve. You should have at least 1 cup of peas; more is fine. Bring the empty pea pods, scallions, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Pour the broth through a sieve. Reserve the broth. You should have about 3 cups.

Melt the butter in the empty saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and broth, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Simmer briskly for 3 minutes. Add the lettuce and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let soup cool a bit.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender until very smooth. Add cream and mix well. Chill the soup in an airtight container for several hours.

I talked about this recipe HERE.