This brightly coloured soup for chili lovers is the perfect way to welcome back warmer weather. Looking for a little less heat? Substituting serrano pepper with jalapeno will make a slightly less spicy soup. Garnish options include pea shoots, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, sliced roasted almonds, chives, or a swirl of sour cream.
Blend master
If you find yourself making many batches of puréed soups, consider investing in an immersion blender. This handy tool lets you blend soups in the pot they’re made in to help streamline prep.
Minty Chili Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil or sunflower oil
- 1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1/2 lb (225 g) new potatoes, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 serrano chili peppers, seeded and chopped
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper
- 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 cups (750 mL) fresh shelled or frozen peas
- 1 cup (250 mL) fresh mint
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories185
- protein7 g
- total fat4 g
- sat. fat0 g
- total carbohydrates31 g
- sugars8 g
- fibre8 g
- sodium447 mg
Directions
01
In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add leek and salt; cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add potatoes and garlic; heat for 3 minutes. Add serrano pepper, coriander, and black pepper; heat for 1 minute.
02
Add broth to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low, covered, until potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas and continue heating until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint and lemon juice. Using blender or food processor, purée soup in batches if necessary. Thin with additional broth or water, if needed. Ladle into each of 4 bowls.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
