CHILLED SUGAR KELP AND SPRING PEA SOUP

From Sea Greens by Kristy Del Coro

When I worked at Rouge Tomate in New York City, one of the best things I learned was how to make a really good puréed soup, a dish I think is often overlooked by home cooks. Sure, we have butternut squash soup, but there are so many others that are very tasty and extremely easy to make. Here, I blend sugar snap peas and green peas for a spring pea soup (in the restaurant, fresh green peas were blanched to maintain their green color, but I’ve found that adding frozen peas at the end of cooking has the same effect and saves you a step). This soup brings together some of my favorite signs of spring—fresh peas, mint, and the unexpected addition of sugar kelp from the North Atlantic, which adds just a hint of the sea. A dollop of lemon yogurt on top brightens everything up and makes it even creamier. It’s simple, refreshing, and a nice way to welcome the change of season, equally good served chilled or warm.

INGREDIENTS

SOUP

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups [200 g] chopped leeks (2 or 3), dark green tops discarded

2 tsp kosher salt

½ cup [15 g] dried whole-leaf sugar kelp, hand torn or cut with scissors into a few smaller pieces

8 oz [230 g] fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced

4 cups [945 ml] unsalted or low-sodium vegetable stock

2¼ cups frozen green peas (about one 12 oz [340 g] bag)

½ cup [6 g] fresh mint leaves

LEMON YOGURT

½ cup [120 g] plain full-fat Greek yogurt

Zest of 1 small lemon

⅛ tsp fine sea salt

GARNISH

Chopped fresh chives

Furikake (recipe below or store-bought) mint, or microgreens (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Make the soup: In a medium stockpot, add the olive oil, leeks, and salt, and heat over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the leeks have softened but do not brown. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add the sugar kelp pieces and snap peas and cook for another minute. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, partially covered, or until the sugar snap peas are soft and easy to blend. Remove from the heat. Immediately add the frozen peas and keep covered for about 2 minutes. This step will thaw the peas so they are soft enough to blend but will help them maintain their bright green color.

Carefully transfer the entire batch of soup to a high-speed blender and add the mint. Depending on the size of your blender, this may need to be done in batches. (An immersion blender could also be used, but it will not get as smooth as in a high-speed blender.) Blend, being careful to slightly vent the lid in the beginning and start on low speed so that the hot soup does not splatter. Gradually increase the speed and blend until smooth. For an even smoother soup, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Adjust the seasoning and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. (The soup can also be served warm, if desired.)

Make the lemon yogurt: Whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest, and salt in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Thin with a little water, if necessary.

To serve, divide the soup into four bowls and serve each with a dollop of lemon yogurt and a sprinkle of chives and furikake, if desired.

FURIKAKE

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup [35 g] white sesame seeds

2 Tbsp black sesame seeds

2 Tbsp laver flakes

1 Tbsp kelp flakes

1 Tbsp bonito flakes

1 tsp flaky sea salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a small dry pan over medium heat, toast the white and black sesame seeds for about 1 minute. Add the laver and kelp flakes and continue to toast until the white sesame seeds start to lightly brown and everything becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add to a food processor with the bonito flakes and pulse a few times. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the salt and sugar.