Chilled Pea Soup with Creamy Feta and Basil

This soup redefines, “eat your peas.”

As for many people, my life experiences shape my recipes and this is the perfect example. This recipe reminds me of springtime when I was a chef in the French Rivera. With the first signs of spring, I think about those salty breezes, nights under the stars, and meals with friends. Although perfect any time of year, this pea soup recipe with basil undertones and creamy feta will refresh the palette and conjure up thoughts of sunny days. It’s dressed up with garden-fresh vegetables and croutons for a crunchy texture that will delight your palette. And once you’ve tasted this soup, I dare you not to think of sun-kissed spring days the next time someone says, “eat your peas.”

 4 SERVINGS      30 MINS      EASY    CHABLIS

INGREDIENTS
Pea Soup
400 g peas
8 g fresh basil
5 g granulated sugar
20 ml lemon juice
salt to taste

Garnish & Croutons
10 pieces snowpeas
20 g peas fresh
4 slices of french bread
2 pieces radish
few leaves curly salad

Creamy Feta
50 g feta cheese
100 ml heavy cream

METHOD
Pea Soup

  1. Bring salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas for 2 minutes. Then immediately cool down in ice water.
  2. Blend the peas, basil leaves, sugar and lemon juice. Add approx. 100 ml of water or for soup consistency, as desired.
  3. Strain the soup. If the soup is too thick, add a bit of water, as needed. Add salt to taste.
  4. Reserve in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) until ready to eat.

Garnish & Croutons

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C for the croutons.
  2. Then, diagonally cut the snow peas in about 3 sections each.
  3. Bring salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas and snow peas for 1 minute. Then immediately cool down in ice water.
  4. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to add to the dish.
  5. Tear the bread into small pieces and place the bread on a baking tray.
  6. Sprinkle the bread with a pinch of salt and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for around 5 minutes or until the bread begins to golden. Then remove from the oven and set aside.
  8. Shave the radish into thin strips with a peeler or mandoline. Select nice leaves of curly lettuce for the garnish.

Creamy Feta

  1. Crush the feta with a fork. Begin mixing and gently add the cream until there is a smooth consistency. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Dressing the Dish

  1. Add a dollop of creamy feta to the bottom of the bowl.
  2. Place the peas, snow peas, radish, curly lettuce and croutons, as desired.
  3. Serve the dishes. Then pour the chilled soup. Bon appétit!

 

NOTES

  1. Be careful not to overcook the peas. The more they blanch, the more color and flavor they lose.
  2. Make sure to cool down the peas in water with ice as it helps to fix the chlorophyll.
  3. I highly recommend adding the garnish, as it brings complexity, flavor and texture to the soup. However, it can be served without the garnish but not without a dollop of feta cream.