Recipe: Chilled Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone

the appetizer:

Cheese, Glorious Cheese! by Paula Lambert celebrates fine cheesemaking with recipes like Chilled Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone, Croissants Filled with Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes and Dilled Havarti, and Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Queso Fresco.

Cookbook

Chilled Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone

Serves 6

Chilled Pea Soup with Minted Mascarpone

Nothing could be more refreshing or prettier for a springtime luncheon or dinner, and this soup is a snap to make. The mint in the mascarpone adds a fresh and interesting twist.

Pea Soup

2 cups chicken broth 1 clove garlic
5 cups (24 ounces) frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Minted Masearpone

1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Mascarpone, cold
6 fresh mint leaves, minced, plus 6 whole mint leaves, for garnish

For the Pea Soup, pour the chicken broth into a medium saucepan and add the garlic. Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat and cook for several minutes. Remove the broth from heat, add the frozen peas, and mix well. Allow the peas to thaw in the hot broth for a few minutes. Pour the peas, the broth, and the garlic clove into a blender and puree until the soup is smooth. Alternatively, puree the peas in the saucepan using an immersion blender.

Pour the peas back into the saucepan, add the cream and milk, and bring the soup to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes and then season to taste with salt and white pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the soup into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.

For the Minted Mascarpone, whip the cream using a whisk or electric mixer and then stir in the Mascarpone. Just before serving, stir the minced mint into the Mascarpone.

To serve, ladle the chilled soup into glass tumblers or flat soup bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of minted Mascarpone with a mint leaf stuck into the Mascarpone.

Notes
This soup can also be served hot and can be made several days before serving.

If you like spicy food, you could drizzle a few drops of hot sauce or a few slivers of jalapeño on top of the soup.