Chilled Pea-Mint Soup Recipe (2024)

By Daniel Patterson

Chilled Pea-Mint Soup Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 15 minutes
Rating
4(223)
Notes
Read community notes

Buttermilk-simmered peas, plenty of mint, a touch of salt: That’s it. The chef Daniel Patterson brought the recipe to The Times in 2007. It benefits mightily not just from the use of fresh peas, but from real, homemade buttermilk as well, “nothing like the cultured, processed stuff that goes by the same name,” he wrote. This is true, as it happens, but luckily fresh buttermilk can increasingly be found at farmer’s markets and in specialty markets. Top the chilled soup with a few peas and a grind or two of fresh black pepper.

Featured in: The Way We Eat; Curd Mentality

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4

  • 2cups homemade buttermilk (see note)
  • 4cups shelled peas, plus more for garnish
  • Salt
  • 10mint leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

50 calories; 1 gram fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 287 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chilled Pea-Mint Soup Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In a medium saucepan, bring the buttermilk to a simmer and add 4 cups of peas and a large pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so that the buttermilk does not boil over. The peas should not be fully cooked and still have a slight bite to them.

  2. Step

    2

    Transfer the peas and liquid immediately to a blender with the mint leaves and, starting on low speed, carefully blend (holding the lid on firmly with a dishcloth), working up to high speed for 60 seconds.

  3. Step

    3

    In order to preserve the vibrant color and flavor of the peas, the soup must be cooled immediately. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then rest the bowl inside a larger bowl full of ice water. Stir continuously until cool, tasting occasionally; you will notice that the soup becomes sweeter as it cools. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until cold.

  4. Step

    4

    To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with fresh peas and freshly ground black pepper.

Tip

  • Note: In recipes calling for homemade buttermilk, you may substitute each cup of homemade with a mixture of 1 cup 1 percent milk and 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk.

Ratings

4

out of 5

223

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Weston

Used store-bought buttermilk as in the note and frozen peas (make sure you let peas thaw before adding buttermilk). Turned out great.

AD

Made it vegan by using almond milk mixed with 3T lemon juice instead of the buttermilk. Added extra mint as I thought the peas were overpowering the mint a bit.

Jane

I used the best store-bought buttermilk I could find (no weird additives), frozen tiny peas and twice the amount of homegrown mint called for, as we like mint. A delicious addition to the summertime chilled soup lineup.

Julia

I made this once using whey leftover from making ricotta, and it was delicious. Other times I've used the milk + store-bought buttermilk, and they have been great too. I've always used frozen peas and just cooked them about a minute.

Elizabeth

Really nice, but the cook time should reflect the chill time, as this takes way longer than 15 minutes start to finish.

PDeCo

I used fresh English peas, and they presented two problems: (a) after blending them in blender, almost no fluid would pass through the seive, so I had to turn the blender up to liquify, but (b) when liquified and later cooled and served, they were still too substantive or thick. I'd suggest clarifying which kinds of peas work best. Seeing comments from others, it seems frozen peas are a good choice. Also, the mint taste was too mild -- I'd suggest 15 leaves rather than 10.

DNcgo

Simplified recipe. Blanched and iced frozen peas. Poured 2 cups whole milk plain kefir in Vitamix. Added salt and 20 mint leaves (like a more pronounced taste) and blended until perfectly smooth. Delicious - and just a few minutes!

hannahk

I used fresh shelled peas but didn’t have my ice bowl ready and was scrambling to transfer everything. Maybe I cooked them too long; soup just tasted bitter and unappetizing.

PDeCo

I used fresh English peas, and they presented two problems: (a) after blending them in blender, almost no fluid would pass through the seive, so I had to turn the blender up to liquify, but (b) when liquified and later cooled and served, they were still too substantive or thick. I'd suggest clarifying which kinds of peas work best. Seeing comments from others, it seems frozen peas are a good choice. Also, the mint taste was too mild -- I'd suggest 15 leaves rather than 10.

Fay

This looked lovely to me but my family and I didn't like it (and we all love peas). I hate being negative, but most of it went down the drain, alas. Next time I'll just make actual peas.

Jacqueline

hmmm... so did anyone else wound up with most of the solids in the sieve, which seems a waste of perfectly good ingredients, or should I have blitzed longer - or used less fine mesh of a sieve...? Most importantly it makes the "soup" more like a drink, very liquidy. I did make the buttermilk, piece of cake with KitchenAid with dial on 8, the butter was separating within 8 minutes, quite suddenly as mentioned below. Tastes great but I was hoping for a thicker texture.

mez

Used frozen peas (thawed) and 3x the mint and it was so delicious. I can’t believe how simple!

Rebecca

This is fantastic. I didn’t have enough buttermilk so I added some Greek yogurt and whole milk.

Elizabeth

Really nice, but the cook time should reflect the chill time, as this takes way longer than 15 minutes start to finish.

Tracy

I very much enjoyed this during fresh pea season, as did most everyone. However a couple of my guests found it too rich. Maybe they just weren't cold soup people.

Dee

Homemade buttermilk, frozen peas. Mint was so faint even after adding more than double so put 1/4 tsp. mint extract in it. Straining is key. Gorgeous color. Nice! Easter first course...

Jane

I used the best store-bought buttermilk I could find (no weird additives), frozen tiny peas and twice the amount of homegrown mint called for, as we like mint. A delicious addition to the summertime chilled soup lineup.

AD

Made it vegan by using almond milk mixed with 3T lemon juice instead of the buttermilk. Added extra mint as I thought the peas were overpowering the mint a bit.

Julia

I made this once using whey leftover from making ricotta, and it was delicious. Other times I've used the milk + store-bought buttermilk, and they have been great too. I've always used frozen peas and just cooked them about a minute.

Weston

Used store-bought buttermilk as in the note and frozen peas (make sure you let peas thaw before adding buttermilk). Turned out great.

Marissa

Seconded!

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Chilled Pea-Mint Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make pea soup taste better? ›

Use bones, such as a ham hock or shank, even a turkey carcass. The collagen in the bones thickens the soup and the meat adds flavor. Start with a big Dutch Oven, Stock Pot, or slow cooker (minimum 3–4 quarts). Dump in a pint of mirepoix - diced onion, celery, and carrot.

What is the difference between split pea soup and pea soup? ›

Pea soup would be made out of mashed peas from a pod whereas split peas have been dried and have to be soaked overnight to soften. Split pea soup is often cooked with a ham hock and has bits of ham in the soup.

Why is my pea soup bland? ›

The common denominator will probably be meat (ham bones are common), more salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use bouillon cubes or paste to provide both meaty flavor and salt, though pork is a lot harder to find than chicken or beef. Salt and pepper you can just stir in.

Why is my pea soup not creamy? ›

Split pea soup can be too thin due to various reasons. One common reason is using too much water or broth while cooking. Additionally, if the split peas are not cooked long enough, they may not release enough starch to thicken the soup.

What to add to bland pea soup? ›

Add a bit of lemon zest to make those peas really sing. You can try the fresh pea approach with your favorite split pea soup recipe, but this super traditional, easy version is an Epicurious favorite.

How to jazz up pea soup? ›

Onion, lots of garlic, bay leaves, oregano and thyme make this soup taste amazing. We recommend using fresh thyme for the best taste.

Should split pea soup be thin or thick? ›

Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down during cooking and also as it sits, especially if refrigerated. If it's too thick for your liking, you can easily thin it by adding a bit of chicken or vegetable broth, or even water, until you reach your desired consistency.

How healthy is pea soup for you? ›

Like other legumes and vegetables, peas offer a nice package of carbs, protein, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients, including vitamin K, vitamin C, B vitamins and manganese. Green peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein—which is why pea protein powder is popular among vegans.

Why does pea soup upset my stomach? ›

Gas generated by the gut microbiome

Gases include hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane among others. The gas produced from eating peas can be a sign of your good gut microbes fermenting these raffinose family of oligosaccharides.

Is pea soup hard on your stomach? ›

From a Western nutrition perspective, legumes, lentils, and split peas can cause bloating because of the oligosaccharides present. Oligosaccharides are small sugars that aren't actually digested by us.

Why does pea soup give me gas? ›

Legumes cause gas because they contain a particular type of sugar, also known as an oligosaccharide (ex: raffinose and stachyose), that the human body cannot fully digest.

Can you overcook pea soup? ›

Update: If you overcook, the soup will get even thicker than usual! and turn a little bit of an olive drab color--it will still taste good though!"

What are the white things in pea soup? ›

Very likely the embryo of the peas! Each side of the pea is an endosperm, like the white of an egg. These are probably just left over embryos of the peas, or the yolk, if you will.

How much water do I need for 2 cups of split peas? ›

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas.

How to doctor up canned split pea soup? ›

Ham: make it extra hearty by adding some diced ham to your soup. Extra herbs: if you have a stocked spice cabinet, try adding some oregano and thyme to your soup, or extra black pepper. Potato: add a diced potato and simmer until the potatoes are soft to make this soup extra filling.

How do you doctor up canned pea soup? ›

Cook and crumble up some bacon or sausage for a punch of additional meaty flavor. Try sauteing ham for split pea soup. Even some pan-fried shrimp would be great on canned potato or corn chowder. If you steer clear of meat, you can turn to vegetarian protein options like eggs and tofu.

What can I add to my soup to make it tastier? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

How can I add flavor to tasteless soup? ›

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok.

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