I recently came back from a glorious gourmet-filled trip to Spain and
one of the many outstanding restaurants I had the pleasure of experiencing was in Barcelona called Cinc Sentits (Five Senses). They served a wonderful Chilled Pea Soup
with Five Herb Ice-Cream that was not only memorable for its refreshing
taste but also for the chef’s creative use of ice-cream in a non-dessert dish. I have to admit I’ve never been a fan of hot pea soup but after my introduction to the soup chilled the thought of indulging in this dish again on a hot summer night was quite enticing.
So, when Häagen-Dazs® asked if I would create a
recipe that was Made Like No Other®, I immediately thought I would try to recreate this at home…something unexpected, unique and oh-so-delicious! Of course I wanted to do something a bit different so I added a twist of my own. Using English peas and
going with the idea of the Brit’s use of “peas paired with mint”, I
created a chilled pea soup
with a dollop of mint-infused vanilla ice-cream. The mint-infused ice
cream was further inspired by the technique of muddling mint and sugar
similar to the method used to create a Mojito. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
To see more recipes created by fellow food bloggers visit the Häagen-Dazs Made Like No Other Facebook Page
and the BlogHer Round-Up page.
Chilled Pea Soup with Mint-Infused Häagen-Dazs® Vanilla Ice-Cream
Soup Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 cups of shelled fresh peas, about 1/2 pound
- 1 lb of fresh peas, left in their pods
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 4 cups of vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup of vegetable stock
Soup Instructions:
Steamed Shucked Peas
- Steam
the shucked peas and cook until the peas are done but still firm (about
5 minutes). Do not overcook or they will get mushy; you want a slight
“pop” when you eat one. - When done run under cold water and set aside.
Pea Soup
- Over
medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet. Add chopped shallots and
cook until onions soften and become translucent about 5 – 8 minutes. - Add the peas and parsley, mix together.
- Add 4 cups of
vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and
cover the pot. Let simmer for 15 minutes until the peas are tender. Set
aside to cool, about 10 minutes - Pour the cooked pea soup into a blender and puree. You can do this in batches if need be.
- Add another cup of vegetable broth to thin out the soup (if you are doing this in batches add 1/2 cup to each batch as you puree)
- Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the pureed soup through a fine sieve or strainer; discard the solids.
- Refrigerate the soup for at least one hour to chill.
Mint-Infused Vanilla Ice-Cream
- 1/2 pint of Vanilla Häagen-Dazs® Ice Cream, softened just to room temperature
- 1 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of water
- Place chopped mint leaves and sugar in a small (freezer-safe)
bowl or mortar and muddle until well blended, adding water as needed to
create a paste - Add the ice-cream to the bowl and blend the sugared mint into the ice cream
- Wrap with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 1 hour
Plating the Dish
- Pour the chilled pea soup into a bowl
- Add a good amount of the shucked peas in each bowl
- Add 1 scoop of the mint vanilla ice-cream
- Garnish with mint leaves and a few peas
Enjoy! ©HDIP, Inc.