Mint Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Put the spring onions into a large pan with the potato, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is very soft. For the garnish, blanch 3 tbsp of the shelled peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, put in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Add the remaining peas to the soup base and simmer for 5 minutes - no longer, or you will lose the lovely fresh flavour of the peas.
• Stir in the mint, sugar and lemon or lime juice, cool slightly then pour into a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until as smooth as you like. Stir in half the buttermilk or soured cream, taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve the soup cold, cool quickly, then chill - you may need to add more stock to the soup before serving as it will thicken as it cools. To serve hot, return the soup to the rinsed-out pan and reheat without boiling (to prevent the buttermilk or soured cream from curdling).
• Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the remaining buttermilk and the drained peas.

Steps:

• Cut one of the cucumbers into small dice, and set aside for garnish. Cut the others into large chunks. Combine cucumber chunks, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and water in a blender and puree until smooth.
• Add scallions and mint leaves, reserving some of the mint for garnish, and puree briefly. Season with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice if a tarter flavor is desired.
• Chill until ready to serve. Stir well before serving, and ladle into bowls or mugs, garnishing each serving with a big spoonful of diced cucumber and a sprig of mint.

Steps:

• Cut tips from 6 asparagus spears, about 1 1/2 inches from the top; reserve for garnish later. Chop the remaining asparagus into chunks.
• Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat; cook and stir shallot in the hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chopped asparagus; season with mint, salt, and pepper. Cook until asparagus are slightly tender, about 3 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock into asparagus mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in lemon zest.
• Blend soup using a hand blender or a food processor until smooth.
• Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook asparagus tips in the boiling water until just turning bright green, about 2 minutes. Strain asparagus tips and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Garnish soup with asparagus tips and hard-boiled egg.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the 4 chopped green onions, and cook until softened, but not brown. Stir in the peas, vegetable stock, and 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat back to low, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. If you are using frozen peas, 15 minutes is enough.
• Using a large slotted spoon, remove about 3 tablespoons of the peas, and set aside for garnish. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor along with the milk, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in a pinch of sugar if desired. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
• Pour the soup into 4 serving bowls. Swirl 1 tablespoon of light cream into each one, then garnish with reserved peas and sprigs of mint.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large kettle over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook 5 minutes until onions have softened. Sir in the garlic and cook 1 minute until its aroma is released. Add the potatoes and saute 5 minutes until they begin to color. Add the chicken stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. Add the peas and cook 3 minutes until tender but still bright green. Puree the mixture either through a food mill, with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, until smooth. Place in a clean pot, stir in the cream, and rewarm gently. Stir in the fresh mint and serve.
• In Portugal, this soup is often made with fresh fava beans. Use them if you can find them. Mint (horteln) grows abundantly in Portugal and is widely used in savory dishes, frequently in combination with coriander (coentro).

Steps:

• Soak shrimp in warm water to cover in a bowl 5 minutes, then drain in a sieve, discarding water. Bring stock and shrimp to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in mint and immediately remove from heat. Add eggs in a slow stream, stirring slowly in one direction, then stir in salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Peel and cut 1 1/2 of the cucumbers into large chunks (set the remaining unpeeled 1/2 cucumber aside).
• Combine the cucumber chunks in a food processor with the yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, mint, salt, garlic and plenty of white pepper. Pulse, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth.
• Ladle the mixture into cold bowls or refrigerate until serving. Chop the remaining cucumber into fine dice and divide among the bowls. Swirl some sour cream into each bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and scatter with mint and almonds.

Steps:

• Tip the frozen peas into a blender and pour over the hot water from a kettle. Leave the peas to defrost, then reserve 1 tbsp peas. Add a handful mint and the vegetable bouillon powder to the rest. Blitz until smooth, then chill. Serve, drizzled with cream and scattered with some chopped mint and the reserved peas.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes for fresh peas, about 2 minutes for frozen.
• Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve warm soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.

Steps:

• Melt the butter gently in a medium saucepan then add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cover with a lid and leave over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not coloured (about 12 minutes).
• Pour in the stock and sprinkle in a little salt (if using a cube, hold back on the salt and adjust it at the end). Bring to the boil and simmer, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Take off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
• Strain the vegetables through a sieve set over a bowl. Reserve the liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, adding enough of the strained liquid to make the mixture turn easily in the machine. Set the sieve over the cleaned pan and push the puréed vegetables through (this step is not essential but gives the soup a very smooth finish). Pour in the liquid and stir well to blend.
• Tip in the orange juice and mint and gently reheat the soup. Stir and taste to see if more salt is needed, then pour into warmed bowls. If you like the idea of the cream, drizzle a little over the top.