Pea, Edamame and Mint Soup with Feta | Holding on to Spring
I suppose that summer is shortly on its way, but somehow its approach never quite seems to hit me on time. When it does arrive, it feels abrupt. Each year I eagerly anticipate the end of the interminably long winter months. I wait patiently for the days to get longer and the air warmer. I look forward to the abundance of green: spring lettuce, peas, artichokes, and asparagus.
Although I revel in the pleasures of summer and realize that it promises much to look forward to, I just can’t help feeling that I should have appreciated spring more fully while it was here — especially since it’s only a matter of weeks until we’ll be celebrating the arrival of another long, hot summer.
Luckily, the past week has been a temporary reprieve from the coming heat. We’ve had many crisp, cool days with beautiful blue skies that embody springtime’s temperate beauty; and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as I wistfully cling to spring for just a little longer. So I seized the opportunity to make a sweet pea and edamame soup with mint and feta.
In this delicate soup, tender sweet peas and mild edamame are brightened with the fresh flavor of mint. It’s wondrously simple to make, not exacting in quantities and has great tolerance for improvisation. This soup tastes like springtime to me — it’s light and fresh with bright flavors that are just a little sweet and grassy.
Peas and edamame are combined with young spring onions, hit with a quick pour of grassy extra virgin olive oil and simmered together until just tender. Half is then pureed in the blender with a good handful of fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon juice. However, the feta is what really sets this soup apart; it melts ever so slightly into the light green broth, adding a salty creaminess to every bite.
Although it might seem odd that I’m advocating using frozen peas for this recipe, they are so readily available and require so much less work than shelling fresh peas that I see no reason not to use them, especially considering there is no loss of flavor. Of course if you wish, feel free to use fresh peas or even a mixture of fresh and frozen ones (as I said, the recipe is quite adaptable). I served this soup hot, but it is equally delightful chilled.
What are your favorite springtime dishes?
P.S. – a little sprinkle of Kale Powder would be a nice addition to this soup, if you are so inclined.
RECIPE: pea, edamame and mint soup with feta
INGREDIENTS
- 2 spring onions, cleaned and coarsely chopped
- 225g/8oz frozen peas
- 225g/8oz frozen edamame (soy beans)
- 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 750 ml/3 cups filtered or spring water
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (a little less than the juice of ½ a lemon)
- 1 small bunch of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 190g/ 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 150g/5oz Feta cheese, crumbled for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the chopped spring onions, frozen peas, edamame, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until peas and edamame are very tender, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
- Place half of the soup in blender. Add in lemon juice and mint leaves; process until very smooth.
- Pour the pureed mixture back in with the remaining soup in the pot and add the cooked brown rice. Warm through before serving.
- Ladle the soup mixture into bowls, and top with crumbled feta. Garnish with additional mint and cracked pepper, if desired.
NOTES
The soup can be prepared up until the addition of feta and frozen into individual portions. Reheat over low heat and top with feta when ready to serve.
Can be served either hot or chilled.
Number of servings (yield): 4 to 6
© 2010-2011 gourmande in the kitchen.
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75 Responses to “Pea, Edamame and Mint Soup with Feta | Holding on to Spring”
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I definitely think using frozen peas is fine, this soup id gorgeous and I really like the combination of peas and edamame
It does indeed capture spring very well, somehow I also associate feta with spring time too!
This sounds perfect, I love edamame and a lovely soup would be so welcoming right now!
I’m not sure I have a favorite springtime dish. All I can say is I’m not looking forward to summers in dubai where the temps hit a scorching 48-50 degrees centigrade. I’ve only ever eaten edamames steamed with lots of salt but I’m sure the feta goes beautifully in this soup
Love feta with anything!
Oh Sylvie this is beautiful beyond words. I have the tendency to first read your post without looking at the pictures, so that I can imagine what you write and then go back and look at the pictures. I don’t know what that means but then I love the way you describe food. I love this recipe, all the ingredients I LOVE in a bowl. Surely spring like!
As an avid soup eater I am always looking for a new soup recipes and your soup looks and sounds so delicious and so refreshing! Thank you for sharing!
This is a beautiful soup that I would enjoy any season. I love how the feta just tops it off!
What beautiful photos and such a lovely, healthy recipe. My favourite springtime dish is a radish, fennel and pea salad with mint and feta – so a not too distant solid cousin of this soup!
I love all of the ingredients in this soup… the flavors all sound wonderful and refreshing. A sprinkle of the kale powder would certainly be a nice addition
Yum! That looks wonderful! Just bookmarked this to try! Delicious!
absolutely perfect in every way – the colors, the texture and yes, i can just imagine the fabulous taste!
This is beautiful! I love spring garlic and the idea of this soup is very appealing. The cute little sprig of mint on the top is a nice touch.
You’re lucky that you’ve been having nice weather. Here in the midwest we’re getting bombarded! Enjoy the sun, and send some my way, please.
I love anything with peas + mint, and this looks especially light and refreshing. The perfect dish for spring!
Gorgeous soup. I love the color!
STA NING. STUNNING. Your pictures blow me away girl. ANd the recipe… wow!!
Beautiful in every way! A soup that would be great in any season. And I say this all the time but your photo’s are gorgeous!
Sylvie, you are really good with words…I can simply picture everything in my head…
Loved your Kale powder idea, I can imagine it will go well with the fresh peas in the soup …:)
these are not flavours I would ever have thought to put together and so, I’m very intrigued! It looks absolutely beautiful though and very reminiscent of spring. lovely!
Wow, Sylvie this soup looks absolutely spectacular…I know I say this often, but you amaze me.
I just love this. I’m such a hound for all things green and I’m going to have to put this on my “must make” list. By the way, I love your blog.
Jodi
So much love for green around here.
So inspired.
My favourite spring dishes always involve asparagus. I love them (a bit too much)
Yes, asparagus is definitely a spring favorite for me too!
Fabulous!! I want this tonight
this sounds yummy – not something hubby & kids would probably enjoy, but I will have to try on a “sister” night – Thanks for sharing!
What a perfect soup! Well, at least, perfect for me. I think I’d endure the shelling, ’cause I’m obsessed with fresh shelled sugar snaps peas, and have been eating them about 4 days a week. And I could always use a new recipe for them, especially one that looks so beautifully fresh and light.
O, and gorgeous pics, as always!
great spring soup! I’ve never had anything like this, and it sounds really good.
Oh my… what gorgeousness! This soup is definitely right up my alley. I’m in love with all the flavors and can’t wait to make it in my own kitchen after finals next week
Hi Sylvie!
. Perhaps I’ll hold onto Spring for a week longer with your soup.
I just love reading your posts, I feel like they’re pages straight from a book (eh hem, your book, that you should write). I’d say that I’m just as fond of Spring, more so then the hot Summer months. I love each and every ingredient in this soup on it’s own and the “sweet and grassy” just sounds delightfully refreshing. Can you please send me a batch.
Breathing fresh crisp spring indeed. I love the Feta you have used here and yes the sprinkling of the kale powder would certainly enhance the beauty if this soup.
Elegant, delicious, gorgeous soup! Ah, feta in soup…I do this often.
In the spring I always look forward to asparagus.
Gorgeous soup Sylvie! It’s definitely soup weather here now, so I’m craving and making lots of soups. I love the combination of peas, edamame and mint. Beautiful!
There are always things to look forward to when you live in a seasonal weathered country. Here everything is available all year round, we’re really out of touch with seasonality of fresh produce. Love that this soup is without cream, the addition of feta makes so much sense.
You are my green girl! Your posts and photos inspire me to take my daily dose of greens. If you were colour, that is what you would be
. Love, absolutely love this recipe!
What a beautiful soup, Sylvie!
Sylvie, that looks amazing!!! I love peas…probably my favorite green vegetable. This soup looks so tasty, especially when accompanied by such rustic looking bread. Yum!!!
This looks marvelous! I used to love a pea pod soup made by Takashimaya in NYC (now closed) and tried to copy it with no success. This looks amazingly close.
Sylvie my dear… this sounds fabulous! So beautiful too.
You had me at edamame! Beautiful photography, as ever, Sylvie.
So soothing…like salve for my soul. Everything looks just splendid.
This is such a beautiful soup…I too have a hard time letting Spring turn to Summer, always seems as if it is a fleeting Season. This soup most is a wonderful tribute to Spring with these lovely flavors. I adore the addition of mint and feta here, so crisp and clean
I love spring- it seems so fleeting at times. When summer comes and the days are hot muggy, I long for the fresh days of spring.
I don’t ever mind using frozen peas. I can imagine how much more convenient they would be in this soup. I love the brightness and freshness of the addition of mint. A spring dish that can be enjoyed well into the summer.
This should brighten up anybody’s day. Utterly refreshing.
This soup sounds amazing. I actually like that you used frozen peas, to me it means I can make this soup any time of year and be reminded of spring, which always passes by much too quickly.
It’s so damn cold here so a bowl of that soup would definitely be welcoming! I want my Summer back!
That, my dear, is something I would love to eat. It really does capture the essence of spring.
Simply gorgeous… the photos and the soup.
I could do with a bowl to keep me warm
Sylvie,
I saw this photo on pinterest and I KNEW it had to be yours and sure enough I opened your post and there it was!!! I know I am going to love this soup because I love everything that is in it!! I vote for frozen peas – easy and sometimes better if your peas aren’t straight from the garden!
This would be a wonderful soup shooter.. hmm… have party coming up…..
This year I am confused about the weather. One day it’s nice and warm and the next day it’s raining and the temperature drops down a lot! I am not much of a soup person but this soup and the pretty green color makes it perfect for the weather and I am getting tempted to give a try!
It really seems as though spring has been holding on a while longer and is putting up a fight – summer may be around the corner, but at least up here in the Bay Area, spring wants to stay! I love the layering of greens in this soup – one of my personal favorite spring dishes is also a vibrant green – an asparagus soup.
Sylvie, this is just gorgeous. In every way. I love the vibrance of spring green, and you’ve definitely captured that.
OK, as I said I’m speechless.
Hope we do Santa Monica together,
Thats the only way I can hv my bowl of soup & eat it too !
Hugs
It has started to feel like summer in Vegas too but we have windy and cold weather predicted for weekend again.I m not a summer person at all so the far spring can stretch, better for me.This green soup looks totally yum and your heartfelt writing are much beyond words now.I love the picture of mint.Have a great long weekend!
I am not a huge fan of peasoup,but this looks wonderful. I adore edamame, and the mint likely adds a unique flavor that sounds yummy. The photo of the mint was particularly eye-catching by the way.
oh wow great spring soup looks beautiful as well have a great weekend
Rebecca
Making this for lunch today. It looks delicious!
Such a gorgeous spring soup. Love it!
Beautiful, simple and delicious. Perfect for a summers day. I love it! Thank you for sharing.
Sylvie, your photography is just…gorgeous!
The recipe is awesome looking too, but I am just so captivated by the images!
I would love to talk photography with you one day or meet up and take pics together. If you’re ever going to be in San Diego..please, lmk!
This soup is heavenly. Gosh you make green look great girl. I am a fan of cool, crisp bluebird sky days. My favorite. I could enjoy this soup any day though
I’m a new reader but the photo just drew me in and I had to comment. I am blown away at what an amazing eye to detail you have, and of course, the rustic bread.. do you have the recipe? Growing up partly on edamame here in Japan I never thought about how versatile it can be.
My dear Sylvie,
the photography of this recipe has struck me strongly since the first minute I saw it. And even without having read the full blog post, I knew it’s one of those recipes I nave to try out. I love soups, I love fresh mint and feta and nothing could be more more pleasing to me as well than the soft and tender hue of this green smoothie {soup!}
Delicious taste I bet and certainly so very appealing to the eye! As you may know, I’m currently visiting my family in Greece. Since we grow our own spearmint, I was wondering whether I could use it instead of mint…having now read that this is a quite adjustable recipe allowing improvisation, I really hope that this will be the case.
Looking forward to your reply!
Hope you are keeping well, creative and happily baking cooking!
Yes, absolutely. Spearmint is the most common variety of mint found here as well (although often just labeled “mint”) and it is what I’ve used in the recipe.
Absolutely gorgeous, Sylvie. I love how you styled these.
Mmmm, looks wonderful! Love the bright green color of the soup. Great combination of flavors – not just for spring.
What a beautiful, beautiful bowl of soup. Spring in a bowl.
If we could hold onto spring just a little, little longer, I’d really like that; I’m not ready for summer. Not yet. Not until I get a few more spring ingredients into my kitchen.
[K]
This soup is perfect and elegant in every way. Love it!
Sylvie, this soup evokes the essence of Spring in a spoonful! Fresh, light, beautiful – your photos are gorgeous! I like your kale powder idea too.
this looks delicious! thank you for sharing :O)
Mmm I love edamame but having it in soup is new to me. Can’t wait to try it. Love these shots, especially of the fresh mint.
I love summer and i live in a four season city but the summer’s never really satisfy me here – i always want it to come sooner, want it to be warmer and want it to last longer. I also want four seasons, water and mountains. Hard to find that place. I love your soup peas, edamame, mint and feta combination just sounds fantastic.
I love the refreshing sound of this soup. The added feta is such a clever way give the soup some creaminess. Great recipe.
And I’m sure you are so tired of hearing me say this, but WOW the photography is just stunning, stunning, stunning!
So lovely — would love to try this recipe. It’s similar to one we tried recently, but the edamame were missing, and I love them. I’ve read so many posts lately of the elusiveness of spring, and I guess I’ve never realized how it must be to only enjoy a few days of something wonderful. Hope a few more surface before the extended heat surfaces.
I really love the idea of this soup! Looks very very comforting!
Wow, this soup sounds right up my alley. A perfect springtime soup. Such great flavors, especially liking the addition of mint and kale powder – kale powder, wow what a great idea.
It was 73 degrees here and I was longing for spring myself. Sylvie, your recipes inspire me, and the photos amaze me!
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