i think with the amount of salt used in this sort of recipe, the type really isn't going to matter much. perhaps if you were adding salt to freshly roasted potatoes or something where the salt is a more prominent ingredient, it might matter more...anyway, i can hardly WAIT until fresh podded peas are in season! i have used the edible pea pods when i just couldn't get hold of what i think of as "english/podded peas", but you certainly won't get the beautiful, smooth texture if that's what you are using. the flavor will be fine and usually i prefer a little texture but not in this recipe...sorry--i don't know where i got the first recipe many years ago but for the 2nd one, i just cut corners based on the original recipe. i LOVE this soup alot! (and my husband doesn't care for mint but i have added a little to the bottom of my bowl just before spooning in the hot soup--nice addition).

Chilled Soup of Mixed Peas

¼# snap peas, blanched and julienned
¼ C butter
2 minced shallots
2# shelled peas
2 C chicken stock
2 C half and half
½ C sour cream
lemon juice
salt & pepper
basil

Melt butter in a saucepanÂadd shallots and sauté for a minute or two. Add peas. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Blend in a blender until smooth and chill thoroughly.

Whisk together the half and half and sour cream and pour this into the soup. Season with a squirt or two of lemon juice, salt and pepper and add a little shredded or dried basil. Garnish with the pea pods and serve.

Notes: the above is fairly thick and creamy. You can substitute "no fat" half and half (which is pretty high in sugars) and "no-fat" sour cream. The flavor is still quite good but it is a little thinner, both in consistency, as well as flavorÂ

:
Low fat version of chilled pea soup

Several blanched, julienned snow pea pods (optional)
3 to 4 T butter
1 or 2 minced shallots
2# shelled peas
1 can chicken stock (14 or 15 oz)
½ C sour cream
lemon juice
s & p
basil

Melt butter in a small saucepanÂadd the shallots and sauté for a minute. Add peas, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the chicken stock. When it simmers, reduce heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Process in a blender until smooth and thoroughly chill it.

Whisk the sour cream into the soup. Season with the lemon juice and salt and pepper and add a little basil, garnishing with the snow pea pods.

Maggie, mine uses frozen peas and I think it would be great if you make the version without ham and add some chopped fresh mint before pureeing:

{{!gwi}}

1 medium onion; minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds frozen peas
5 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream; whipped

Melt butter in a heavy, 4-quart saucepan; add onion and a sprinkle of salt and sauté until tender but not brown. Stir in peas and 3 cups of the broth; bring to a simmer and cook peas for eight minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 2 cups broth. Puree soup in 4 batches in blender with the top vented to allow steam to escape, until very smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot topped with whipped cream or at room temperature in the summer time.

*Kick up the flavor; place a smoked ham hock in a soup pot along with 1 cup of broth and ½ cup water. Cover pot and simmer until the meat on the bones falls off (this will take at least an hour). Remove hock and cool enough to remove meat and discard fat and bone. Make soup as above using liquid left in pot and adding broth to equal 3 cups, stir in peas and continue with recipe. Stir in chopped ham pieces after soup has been pureed.

Marilyn

Someone posted a picture of some lovely green soup in a stemmed glass? Who was that.....and did anyone save the recipe?
And how far ahead could something like this be made?
Linda C

San and Marilyn - thank you so much! I was hoping to get the English/podded peas this week. I am craving that taste. Is it too early for them? If not I use the snap or frozen which are good.

Oh and San - you mentioned how low fat/non fat products have more sugar. I am a big label reader and never realized that they were higher in sugar which makes sense now that I hear it. Thank you for that info.

I want to serve this as a light first coarse for Easter. Linda - that sounds beautiful - I hope someone digs up the picture!

Found!!...on the cooking forum....posted by Marilyn!
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Linda, Maggie.....check the third post on this thread! Directly above your first post Linda . LOL !!!!

ROTFL!!!!!!! Big slap on the head for me.
AAAhhhh, Linda are you a blonde too? At least we both did it! But, you still rock for searching for the pic.

Wow, Marilyn. I have glasses just like that and am so doing that - it is so beautiful.

This is pretty funny...lol! Inspired by the idea of mint in pea soup, I bought some fresh mint and plan to puree it with the soup, the non-ham version. I love mint in my {{!gwi}}, so why not pea?!

Marilyn

What can I say....my blond hair ( newly colored!) was falling in my eyes!
I think the seasoning in that soup should be just a whiff....just the barest hint, of garlic and a little tarragon and oregano.
I used to make a recipe of cooked peas, in a lettuce leaf ( one leaf in the bottom of the pan...peas and another over the peas) seasoned with a teeny tiny bit of garlic, some tarragon and a bit of oregano....and "sauced" with butter worked together with a little corn starch.....forgot about that one! Gotta do it again!
Linda C

Okay, this time I realize that asparagus soup is a link.

Maggie, just want to let you know that yesterday I made my regular pea soup, the one posted above. I made it without the ham broth, just with the plain chicken broth and when I pureed it I added 1/2 cup torn, fresh mint leaves. OMG! It is awesome! As I mentioned I like the mint in asparagus soup but I love it in the pea soup. It's such a beautiful green anyway but then with the fresh mint it has these tiny specks of darker green making it just beautiful...I love green! I would take another picture but I don't think I can top the picture above:)

Marilyn

Marilyn,

Thank you, your timing is perfect. I just came back from the fruit warehouse and no luck on the english fresh peas so I will be using the frozen per your recipe. I also bought mint.

I can't wait to make it and more importantly eat it!

Oh good Maggie. Also, if you want a smoother more elegant presentation, strain the soup after you puree it. I did that once for a dinner party because I was worried that some wouldn't like the texture of the pureed "pea skin".

Marilyn