Pea Soup with Minted Crab
Frozen peas ensure that you can have soup on the table in a matter of minutes.
Frozen peas ensure that you can have soup on the table in a matter of minutes.
Yield:
6 servingsIngredients
10 ounces lump crabmeat (we prefer Dungeness)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4 cups water
1 head green-leaf lettuce, quartered
1 pound frozen petite peas
Instructions
In a small bowl, toss crabmeat with 1 tablespoon oil, mint, and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Prepare an ice water bath. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Salt it well and add lettuce. Return water to a boil and blanch lettuce 1 minute; drain, reserving water, and refresh lettuce in ice water. Drain again.
Place peas in a strainer and run under hot water to take the chill off them. In a blender, puree peas and lettuce with reserved water in batches until very smooth. Strain puree for the silkiest soup. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 3 days in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.)
In a saucepan, bring soup to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and heat another 2 to 3 minutes. Right before serving, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Garnish individual bowls of soup with crabmeat.
