Friday, July 9, 2010

Cold Pea Soup with Creamy Ricotta


This post's aim is to give peas a good name again! Peas are not usually considered a sexy ingredient, an ingredient that you get excited to play around with. But let me tell you, peas really are the perfect vegetables to cook with in the summertime. This pea soup could definitely be enjoyed warm but who really wants a bowl of bubbly hot soup when the weather is this warm?

I enjoyed this as the perfect light birthday lunch yesterday. My birthday dinner was equally fresh and delightful last night- O. and I enjoy a wonderful Italian feast of tuna crudo with fleur de sel and shaved organic carrots, fennel and grapefruit, followed by grilled octopus with capers, farro risotto and mussels. For dessert? A wonderfully crisp meringue triffle filled with rum cream, raisins and toasted almonds. It really was the perfect birthday!

Now back to the soup..! When this pea soup is cold and serve dwith a dollop of creamy ricotta it make for the perfect refreshing summer soup. And the best part? It cooks in a matter of minutes. It's also perfect for entertaining - you can make it in the morning and keep it cold in fridge until you serve it at night so you don't have to be running back and forth in the kitchen once your guest have arrived.

Cold Pea Soup with Creamy Ricotta

Serves 4

Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 1/2 cup of frozen peas
2 cups of low sodium chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup of ricotta

In a stockpot on medium low heat, add a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic soften and become just golden. Add the frozen peas, stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gently simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend until the soup if smooth. If the soup is too thick add a couple tablespoons of water until the right consistency is obtained. Add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until perfectly chilled. Serve with a dollop of ricotta and some cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

15 comments:

jenious said...

Best birthday wishes to you. I'm loving all of the green in this photo.

Rebecca said...

Perfect for these hot summer nights! Happy belated birthday! Sending you many bday wishes :)

Jennifer said...

Happy Belated Birthday :)

Growing up we grew acres upon acres of fresh green peas! To this day I still adore them despite the many belly aches from eating so many sweet raw ones. This soup sounds perfect, I cannot wait to try!

vanillasugarblog said...

happy birthday!!!
yes i love a cold soup. never tried a pea version though and really want to after seeing that photo.

Amanda said...

Happy birthday to you! :) I never really thought of trying cold pea soup, but yours sure does look refreshing!

Anonymous said...

My...you have the same birthday, July 8, as me. =)

Mui Sim

pigpigscorner said...

Happy birthday! I really need some cold soup now, so hot!

A Bowl Of Mush said...

This looks so delicious and refreshing!
I would love to try this!

Val said...

Sounds extremely refreshing. Perfect for summer. Lovely :-)

Simones Kitchen said...

Happy belated birthday wishes!! I love peas!! I could really use them almost everyday as they go well with just too many dishes to describe and I love this pea soup!

Golubka said...

Happy birthday! Peas truly are a wonderful summer treat, love them. Lovely soup!

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday! I've actually never had pea soup but if it's good enough for your birthday I'm thinking it's something I need to try. This looks delicious!

Camilla said...

I've never tasted that one but I'll try this coming days..hhmm..can't wait to taste it..wew!

Chocolate Shavings said...

Anonymous: Happy birthday to you too!

michelle said...

who says peas aren't sexy?

okay, it's true, they're not, but this soup looks like it's doing a fine job of rehabilitating them.

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