Mint & Peas

Peas are in season now and I had a bumper crop in my vegetable garden. It was absolutely fun picking the peas in pods from the climbers and god only knows how many I must have gobbled up while picking!  They were so fresh and the pods so tender because I picked them early on while the peas were small. I decided why not use these tender pods as well along with the peas to make a nice hearty soup for the cold winter nights! The pods are otherwise not used unlike the snap peas and the snow peas where the pods are eaten regularly. These tender pods of the green peas are very much edible and contribute to the dietary fibre.  And using fresh mint from the garden was like a marriage made in the heaven! Peas pair really well with mint and the soup gets its freshness from the mint. I also have a very nice recipe for a pea and potatoes salad with a mint dressing in my repertoire. I will be sharing the recipe for this salad along with the Mint and Peas soup, in this blog. Enjoy!

Mint & Peas Soup

Ingredients

1. Onion – 1 medium
2. Shelled peas – 2 cups
3. Tender green pods of the peas – a handful
4. Garlic cloves – 2-3
5. Butter – 2 tbsp
6. Mint – a handful
7. Salt
8. Water

Procedure

1. Chop the onion and the garlic cloves finely. Shell the peas from the pods. Discard the pods except for a handful of tender green pods. String them and break them into pieces.
2. Heat butter in a sauce pan. Add chopped onion and garlic cloves and stir them till translucent.
3. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add the peas and the pods. Cook till tender.
4. Take off the heat and add the mint. Cool down and puree the mixture till smooth. Strain the mixture. Season with salt.
5. Serve the soup hot with a swirl of fresh cream and a sprig of mint for garnish.

This soup tastes the best when peas are in season, but you can also make it with frozen peas. Also you could replace butter by olive oil.

I always make the potato salad with peas and boiled eggs in a creamy dressing.  Finely chopped mint in the dressing gives the salad its freshness.  The egg enhances the protein content of the salad along with the peas. Here is a recipe to this English classic :

Peas and Potato salad with eggs and mint yogurt dressing

Ingredients

1. Cooked Peas – 1/2 cup 
2. Boiled Potato large – 1 large
3. Eggs boiled – 2 
4. Lettuce
   Dressing
5. Hung Curd – 4 tbsp
6. Cream – 1 tbsp
7. Salt to taste
8. pepper – 1/2 tsp
9. Chiili flakes – 2 tsp
10. Finely Chopped Coriander –  1 tbsp
11. Finely Chopped Mint  – 3 tbsp

Procedure

1. Hard boil the eggs. Cool down and cut them into cubes
2. Boil the potato, peel and cool down. Cut it into cubes.
3. Boil peas till cooked and tender in salted water. Drain the water and let them cool down.
4. For the dressing mix all the ingredients together. Season to taste. 
5. Toss peas, potatoes and eggs together in the dressing so as to just coat them. Serve cold in a bed of lettuce. Garnish with mint.

The classic version of this salad uses mayonnaise in the dressing but I prefer the hung curd more because it is a low fat alternative. Curd is always available in all Indian house holds and hung curd can be easily made from it.  

So while the peas are still in season, do give both the soup and salad a try!