• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cottage at the Crossroads

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Canning
  • DIY
  • Holidays
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Gardening
    • Recipes
    • Canning
    • DIY
    • Holidays
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Chilled Minty Pea Soup

    By: Jane · Updated: 2 Feb, '15 · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

    Sharing is caring!

    I have a recipe for you today that is the very essence of spring. When you taste my chilled minty spring soup, it can best be described as having a burst of springtime in your mouth!

    Chilled minty pea soup | cottage at the crossroads

    And it's not hard to make either. You just have to get your hands on some fresh spring peas, also known as English peas or garden peas.

    Spring peas in the garden| cottage at the crossroads

    Our peas that we have growing in our garden are winding down now due to the heat. We planted them directly in the soil around Valentine's Day because peas need cool weather to grow.( There's a reason why they're called spring peas!) We've been blessed with a terrific crop of them for about three weeks now, but the weather has warmed up quickly and slowed down their production. If you purchase fresh spring peas, you must use them almost immediately. They can only be refrigerated just a few days. If I'm unable to cook all of ours, I freeze them by blanching them for 2 minutes, draining them and then plunging them in ice water. After they cool down, I put them into pint size bags to freeze.

    Spring peas in the garden | cottage at the crossroads

    Did you know that peas are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables in the world? They were really popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, and the words we use to name them are derivatives of prominent Roman families such as Cicero for the chickpea, Lentulus for the lentil, and Piso for the pea. Interesting, huh? Well, all I can say is that peas are still popular around our house, too!

    Spring pea decor items | cottage at the crossroads

    Right now I kinda have an "Ode to the Spring Pea" decor going on in the kitchen. Above the range is a tray with a bowl of peas on it, and a dish towel with pea pods on it. I also have a matching pot holder that you can't see.

    Spring pea tray | cottage at the crossroads

    Here you can see the tray a little better.

    Spring peas | cottage at the crossroads

    Now, let's get back to the directions on how to make this pea soup. First, you will need about 4 cups of fresh shelled peas. (If you use frozen peas, you will need two 10 ounce boxes.) Add 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock to a pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the peas and simmer the fresh peas for 10 minutes (frozen-5 minutes.) Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.)

    Chilled minty pea soup | cottage at the crossroads

    Meanwhile, cook 2 slices of bacon in a pan and then remove the bacon when it is done. Go ahead and snack on the bacon but reserve the drippings.

    Chilled minty pea soup | cottage at the crossroads

    Mince one clove of garlic, cut up a few stems of fresh chives, cut the leaves from fresh parsley (you'll need about ¼ cup of parsley) and have about the same amount of fresh mint (spearmint) handy. Also, chop one sweet onion or several spring onions if you have them. Saute the garlic and onions in the bacon drippings on medium low heat until the onions are tender and transparent. Add the sauteed onions and garlic to the cooled pot of peas as well as the parsley and the mint.

    Working in batches, add the soup to the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree the mixture. Transfer to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, cover and  refrigerate for several hours.  (It's also nice to chill the bowls that you'll use to serve the soup.)

    Chilled minty pea soup | cottage at the crossroads

    Before serving, whisk in ¾ cup heavy whipping cream. If the soup seems too thick, you can thin it with some broth or water. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and drizzle a little additional cream on top of the soup (I found it easier to make a little "well" with a spoon before I drizzled the cream.) Garnish with mint leaves.

    When you taste it, you will think springtime has burst in your mouth!

    If you'd like a printable version of this recipe, click HERE.

    More Soups

    • Creamy cauliflower soup square
      Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Sausage
    • German potato salad with bacon
      Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon
    • Italian sausage and cheese tortellini soup 1
      Italian Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup
    • Zuppa toscana soup square
      Zuppa Toscana Soup

    Sharing is caring!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Mary Lynne Bass

      May 20, 2016 at 9:43 am

      Gosh ... This recipe looks so yummy... I'll definitely have to try it.... I love how you wrote about snacking on the bacon while cooking... I always do that....Anyway, will give this a try...

      Reply
    2. Heather

      June 01, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Looks amazing Jane!! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday Link Party! I pinned, tweeted and shared on google plus!

      Reply
    3. [email protected] Designs

      May 27, 2014 at 9:30 pm

      I love pea soup and what a great recipe and so wonderful that you are able to use the peas from your garden...did not know that peas go way back to the Roman times!...would love to make this recipe!!!

      Reply
    4. Jean Windham

      May 26, 2014 at 4:20 pm

      Boy this really looks good and I bet taste great. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    5. [email protected]

      May 26, 2014 at 10:14 am

      Yum! Peas are the only thing we seem to be able to grow. And I love the combination of mint and peas!

      Reply
    6. Dawn

      May 25, 2014 at 5:07 pm

      OMG look at all those peas, and the adorable pea tea towel. I just pulled a lot of my mint today it was getting out of control and taking over the herb garden. Your soup looks delicious and the bowl is the perfect!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads

    We're Jane and Leo!

    Thanks for stopping by! We're renovating and preserving our family's 100 year old home place where we garden, complete a few DIY projects, and do some cooking. Please leave us a comment so that we'll know that you were here.

    about →

    Reader Favorites

    • Setting up a gardening journal
      How to Set Up a Garden Journal
    • Wooden garden obelisks
      DIY Wooden Garden Obelisk
    • Sweet cucumber relish featured
      Sweet Cucumber Relish
    • Cucumbers in raised beds
      Growing Cucumbers in Raised Beds

    Gardening How-tos

    • Best way to remove weeds from large area
      Best Ways To Remove Weeds From a Large Area
    • Potting mix vs. Potting soil
      Potting Mix vs. Potting Soil
    • How to dry and store fresh garden herbs
      How To Dry Herbs
    • 1
      Instant Pot Canning Basics

    Growing Vegetables

    • Fall decor 063
      Our Fall Vegetable Garden
    • Garden and yard may 2013 132
      Evolution of a Garden
    • Celebrity tomatoes in cages
      How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes
    • Growing lettuce in containers 030
      Growing Lettuce in Containers

    Footer

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    © 2021 Cottage at the Crossroads · All Rights Reserved

    Contact Us · Privacy

    24 shares