This Versatile Soup Tastes Great Hot or Chilled

This soup tastes refreshing during warm weather days. It can also be served hot on cool evenings.

Lettuce leaves offer a subtle sweetness and thickness to the soup. Maren Caruso/TCA

Here’s a soup you’ll enjoy in warm weather. Mint, lettuce and peas seem made for each other. While peas are often thought of as a springtime vegetable, they are lovely in the summer, as well. I’ve added snow peas to sweeten and enliven the taste of the English peas.

Butter lettuce, sauteed scallions, and carrot add an interesting component to the simple soup. Lettuce leaves are usually associated with salad; but here lettuce is sauteed, offering up a subtle sweetness and thickness to the soup. If you want to mix it up, consider substituting arugula, romaine or watercress instead of butter lettuce in this recipe. It will have a lovely peppery-sweet underlying flavor.

This versatile soup tastes great hot or chilled. Serve steaming hot on a cool evening as a wonderful opener for light pasta with shrimp and tomatoes. If chilled, it can precede salade nicoise on a sweltering day. A chilled mango iced tea is a nice complimentary beverage. If you want something stronger, a California or French rosé will do the trick.

Minted Lettuce and Snow Pea Soup

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 scallions, white part only, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 medium head butter lettuce, leaves separated
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2-pound (about 1 cup) snow peas, trimmed
• 1 cup shelled fresh English peas (about 1 pound unshelled) or thawed frozen petite peas
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream, creme fraiche or half-and-half
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

To garnish:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion, green part only

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the scallions and carrot and saute, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the lettuce and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add the mint, chicken stock, all but a small handful of the snow peas, and the English peas (if using thawed peas, add during the last 5 minutes). Cover and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, process the soup, in batches, until pureed. (You can also do this with an immersion blender right in the pot.) Return to the pan and add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.

Slice the reserved snow peas in julienne and immerse in boiling water until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Drain, let cool, cover, and chill.

To serve, taste the soup for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the sour cream, mint, scallion, and julienned snow peas. Or refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until well chilled and continue with garnishing and serving.

Advance preparation: This may be prepared 8 hours in advance through Step 5 and refrigerated until serving. If serving warm, reheat gently until it simmers.

Lettuce leaves offer a subtle sweetness and thickness to the soup. Maren Caruso/TCA

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected].