Fish and Seafood Soups/ Soups

Minty Sweet Pea and Zucchini Soup with Garlic Shrimp

MINT Symbol of Hospitality from The Spice Cookbook, 1964

“One of Ovid’s tales of godsend goddesses, written years ago, was inspired by mint-symbol of hospitality. Philemon and Baucis, man and wife, were living in Phrygia, a country in Asia Minor. The land was so poor, this couple had scarcely sufficient food to keep them alive. One day two strangers knocked at their door, asking to be fed. Despite their poverty, Philemon and Baucis were delighted to have guests and prepared the best meal possible from their meager supplies. Wanting to fill their humble home with an inviting fragrance, they rubbed their table with mint leaves. At that point their anxieties were passed – the guests proved to be Zeus and Hermes, incognito. The hovel was soon transformed into a temple, and priests ministered to all the needs of Philemon and Baucis for the duration of their lives.

Mint, plant historians claim, came originally from the Mediterranean shores. Mythology offers a far more romantic story: mint was once the nymph Mentha, unfortunate to have attracted the eye of Pluto. Persephone, his jealous wife, pursued Mentha and trod her ferociously underfoot. Pluto, unable to control his wife’s fury, changed Mentha into a delightful herb, ever after sacred to this god of the underworld.

Mint was well known and highly esteemed in the ancient world. We read in the Bible that the Pharisees paid tithes of mint, anise, and cumin. In Greece, crushed mint leaves were used as a perfume for the arms and to scent the bath”.

Minty Sweet Pea and Zucchini Soup with Garlic Shrimp

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cup sweet peas, if you don't have fresh ones, use frozen
  • 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 potato, peeled and chopped
  • 4-5 scallions, rinsed well and chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tsp finely minced garlic
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds

Instructions

1

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the sweet peas, zucchini, potato, chopped scallions, and broth or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Add mint. Stir in the cream. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Heat the soup, stirring occasionally for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2

In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and season with some of the salt, pepper, and ground mustard seeds. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout about 2-3 minutes. Season the shrimp with more of the salt and pepper mixture.

3

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, add cooked shrimp, garnish with the mint and serve.

Mint green pea soup with shrimp

Fresh sweet peas and garlic shrimp make a simple, but delicious combination of flavors. The aroma of mint is an ideal complement to the sweetness of cooked vegetables. You may serve this soup hot or cold. If you’ve never served a chilled soup before, this is the one to try. Fresh and light, it’s a perfect way to celebrate summer.

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9 Comments

  • Reply
    Angie's Recipes
    June 5, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    I am in love with this soup! So green, light yet so flavourful and tasty. Fantastic photos.

  • Reply
    Thyme (Sarah)
    June 5, 2012 at 8:31 pm

    What a sweet story. I hadn't heard that one…and my son loves mythology so I will run it by him…I'll bet he will tell me the details. The soup looks delicious. I have a large pot of spearmint and I'll always think of this story from now on…

  • Reply
    Eating Local in the Lou
    June 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    Oh my goodness- this sounds Heavenly! I love the use of mint, especially given that I have it growing all over in my garden. Now I can put it to good use!

  • Reply
    Debs @ The Spanish Wok
    June 6, 2012 at 5:07 am

    Peas and mint beautiful combination, the prawns finish the dish well too.

    You are welcome to join in my monthly food blogger event THE SOUP KITCHEN, here offering a new theme each month. All bloggers are welcome, hope to see you participate soon.

  • Reply
    Food Gal
    June 6, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    Looks like the perfect taste of spring. Love the pic of the peas in the cordial glass, too. 😉

  • Reply
    Katie @ This Chick Cooks
    June 6, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    Yum! The soup sounds delicious and I love all your pretty photos!

  • Reply
    Nami | Just One Cookbook
    June 8, 2012 at 4:44 am

    I want to make this soup! Looks really delicious! Love your antique props!

  • Reply
    tika hapsari nilmada
    July 7, 2012 at 12:33 am

    I love pea soup ! Thanks for submitting your photo to DMBLGiT July

  • Reply
    Sonia - L'Exquisit
    October 7, 2012 at 10:30 am

    Yelena, this soup has become unconditional in my house, thanks for the recipe!

  • Leave a Reply

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