I made a delicious pea soup during the spring, but now that it was summer, I wanted to change it up a bit. With the summer heat, I wanted some mint to add to the soup and was looking for something much thinner than the hearty Fresh Pea Soup I made before.

I was also making some ricotta recently and had a vat of whey to use. I read that whey is a great ingredient in soups so I decided to give it a try. If you use whey here, be careful with adding salt, since the whey is likely salted if it is a leftover from cheese production.

A friend of mine was coming for dinner and insisted that he was on a diet and wanted to eat salads. I made this soup to add on to a pearled couscous salad I had on hand from Blue Apron.

This is a really quick and easy recipe and will serve well both hot and cold!

Fresh Pea Soup with Mint

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 cups (960-1200 mL) vegetable broth or whey, depending on how thin you want the soup to be
1 teaspoon chicken broth concentrate
3 cups (450 g) shelled peas
a handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped (about 4 tablespoons)
a handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (80 mL) sour cream or yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a Staub or heavy bottomed pan. Sauté shallots for 2-3 minutes until translucent but not browned.
2. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.
3. Add peas, herbs, broth/whey, and concentrate. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes until peas are tender.
4. Puree with immersion blender.
5. Season with salt and pepper and stir in sour cream or yogurt.

Total cooking time: 25 minutes

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