I recently came back from a glorious gourmet-filled trip to Spain and one of the many outstanding restaurants I had the pleasure of experiencing was in Barcelona called Cinc Sentits (Five Senses). They served a wonderful Chilled Pea Soup with Five Herb Ice-Cream that was not only memorable for its refreshing taste but also for the chef's creative use of ice-cream in a non-dessert dish.  I have to admit I've never been a fan of hot pea soup but after my introduction to the soup chilled the thought of indulging in this dish again on a hot summer night was quite enticing. 

So, when Häagen-Dazs® asked if I would create a recipe that was Made Like No Other®, I immediately thought I would try to recreate this at home...something unexpected, unique and oh-so-delicious!  Of course I wanted to do something a bit different so I added a twist of my own. Using English peas and going with the idea of the Brit's use of "peas paired with mint", I created a chilled pea soup with a dollop of mint-infused vanilla ice-cream. The mint-infused ice cream was further inspired by the technique of muddling mint and sugar similar to the method used to create a Mojito. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

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Chilled Pea Soup with Mint-Infused Häagen-Dazs® Vanilla Ice-Cream

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 2 cups of shelled fresh peas, about 1/2 pound
• 1 lb of fresh peas, left in their pods
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup of vegetable stock

Soup Instructions:

Steamed Shucked Peas

1. Steam the shucked peas and cook until the peas are done but still firm (about 5 minutes).  Do not overcook or they will get mushy; you want a slight "pop" when you eat one.
   
2. When done run under cold water and set aside.

Pea Soup

1. Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet. Add chopped shallots and cook until onions soften and become translucent about 5 - 8 minutes.
2. Add the peas and parsley, mix together. 
3. Add 4 cups of vegetable stock, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover the pot.  Let simmer for 15 minutes until the peas are tender. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes
4. Pour the cooked pea soup into a blender and puree. You can do this in batches if need be.
5. Add another cup of vegetable broth to thin out the soup (if you are doing this in batches add 1/2 cup to each batch as you puree)
6. Place a strainer over a large bowl and pour the pureed soup through a fine sieve or strainer; discard the solids.
7. Refrigerate the soup for at least one hour to chill.

Mint-Infused Vanilla Ice-Cream

• 1/2 pint of Vanilla Häagen-Dazs®  Ice Cream, softened just to room temperature
• 1 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of water

1. Place chopped mint leaves and sugar in a small (freezer-safe) bowl or mortar and muddle until well blended, adding water as needed to create a paste
2. Add the ice-cream to the bowl and blend the sugared mint into the ice cream
3. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 1 hour

Plating the Dish

1. Pour the chilled pea soup into a bowl
2. Add a good amount of the shucked peas in each bowl
3. Add 1 scoop of the mint vanilla ice-cream
4. Garnish with mint leaves and a few peas

Enjoy!  ©HDIP, Inc.