pretty in pea

Pea soup with coriander. Peas go with mint just about as well as chocolate goes with peanut butter. That's a fact.

So what's a gal to do when she's bound and determined to make pea soup but has no mint? The right answer is make something else. The wrong thing to do (which I, of course, did) is go ahead and make it anyway.

In lieu of mint, I chose dried coriander to flavor my pea soup. I've really grown fond of its taste and thought it might complement the peas. When all was said and done, my soup tasted like peas and...peas. There was a little bit of zip from my candied jalapenos (my surprising go-to soup ingredient!) and a little bit of herbaceousness from the coriander, but mostly, just peas.

So, if you really, really like peas (and fortunately, I do), make this soup! If not, do yourself a favor and use some mint to balance everything out.

(Woefully) Mintless Pea Soup
(printable recipe)
Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 (12-ounce) bags frozen green peas
• 10 candied jalapeno slices
• 1 tablespoon dried ground coriander
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender.
Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
Add the peas and jalapenos and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender.
Off the heat, add the coriander, salt, and pepper.
Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Season to taste and serve.