Chilled Pea and Basil Soup
With life always seemingly so busy and many people saying they don’t have time to eat healthy, here is a quick and easy way you can start an your meal with some good nutrition that tastes great and is simple to make. You may already have these ingredients on hand and don’t even realize it! I mean, who doesn’t have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer for those ankle and accidental black eye emergencies?
We blended up this delicious chilled pea soup in the Edible Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and folks were quite grateful for the cooler option for tasting in this hot, early summer weather. Green goodness from frozen peas can often get overlooked as a great resource of nutrients as well as the delicious and delicate flavor it offers. Saute a little sweet onion and grab that fresh basil from the backyard garden and you will be able to create this delicious starter for lunch or dinner any day of the week. It keeps in the fridge for a few days as well so you have something on hand that we call ‘fast food.’ If you want a different kick, feel free to use fresh mint instead of basil for a sweeter side or a hot pepper thrown into the blender to spice things up. Happy healthy eating! MMM
Chilled Pea and Basil Soup
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
4 cups frozen peas
1 quart organic vegetable stock
12 fresh large basil leaves
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plain kefir drizzled for garnish
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the peas and vegetable stock and bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. (Set mixture in an ice bath for faster cooling). Place cooled liquid into blender and blend until smooth. Add basil leaves, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to soup and blend again. Cool in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Garnish with a drizzle of plain kefir and fresh basil leaves.
This recipe was adapted from My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow. Copyright (C) by Gwyneth Paltrow.
