Jim Lahey’s Slightly Chilled Pea Soup

I recently purchased Jim Lahey’s cookbook My Pizza and have made my fair share of his pizzas. But today, I’m not going to write about pizza or pizza dough (stay tuned for a future post). I want to talk about the easiest, most delicious and freshest pea soup I’ve ever tasted.

This recipe proves that simple ingredients can make the most flavorful dishes. The broth consists of a splash of olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, water and mint leaves. It doesn’t sound appetizing and much too oniony, but trust me it works. Once the broth cools down to room temperature and then chilled, dump it in a blender, add the peas and purée. But don’t stop there – the garnishes for this soup are as equally important: crunchy croutons, chopped fresh mint, a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. This soup can’t get any easier, but forget that it’s easy – it’s simply delicious. The best pea soup EVER!

Jim Lahey’s Slightly Chilled Pea Soup (adapted from the Pea Soup recipe in the cookbook My Pizza, 2012 by Jim Lahey and Rick Flaste). I agree with Mr. Lahey that this soup is best served slightly chilled (or at room temperature) so be sure to cool the soup base as instructed below.

Serves 4; Prep time – 10 minutes; Cook time – 10 minutes; Passive time – 30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 2/3 loose cup white or yellow onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups water
10 to 12 fresh mint leaves

1 pound (16 ounces) frozen peas, defrosted

2 thick slices rustic stale bread, toasted and cubed. See Note at the end of this post.
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, torn or julienned
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Add oil, onion, garlic and salt to a medium pot and cook over low heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the onions or garlic.
Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add 10 to 12 mint leaves and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer the broth to a container, cover and chill. (I placed the broth in the freezer for about 30 to 40 minutes.)
Pour the broth into a blender, add the peas and purée until smooth.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with croutons (see Note below), a drizzle of olive oil, chopped mint and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!