Made with O’Live A Little’s Black Pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This soup can be served hot or cold. If you plan to chill it, make it early so the flavors meld together in the refrigerator. If you cannot find fresh peas, high-quality frozen peas work just fine. The Black Pepper Olive blends with the refreshing green peas and mint to make a deliciously bright flavor!
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons O’Live A Little’s Black Pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
1 Cup chopped sweet onion
3 Cups Chicken Stock
2 ten-ounce packages of frozen peas – USE BIRD’S EYE BABY SWEET PEAS or fresh sweet peas that have been cooked to just tender
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint – don’t skimp on the mint!
2 Teaspoons Pink Himalayan Salt
1Teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
To Make Crème Fraiche
Combine 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container.
Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days.
½ Cup chopped fresh chives
O’Live A Little’s Black pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling
Garlic Croutons (see below)
Method Of Prep
In large saucepan heat Black Pepper Olive Oil over medium-low heat. Add leeks and onion, and cook about ten minutes or until tender. Add chicken stock; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add peas and cook 3-5 minutes (frozen peas will only take 3 minutes).
Remove saucepan from heat; add salt, pepper & mint.
Once cool, whisk in crème Fraiche and puree the soup.
Sprinkle with chives, drizzle with O’Live A Little Black Pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon White Balsamic and top with garlic croutons
To Make Garlic Croutons
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Roast Garlic Bulbs: peel some of the outer papery skin off of a few bulbs of garlic and then cut off the very top of the bulb to expose the individual cloves.
Place bulbs cut side down in a baking dish with about ¼ inch of Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( drizzle some oil on top of the bulbs also).
Bake uncovered for 45min – 1 hour, or until cloves when pierced with a knife is very soft.
Allow to cool till the bulbs can be handled.
Squeeze the soft garlic paste out of the bulbs into the leftover olive oil from the baking dish.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well, it breaks up garlic paste.
Toss bread cut into the desired size in the mixture (you made need to add more olive oil).
Please croutons in one layer on the baking sheet and broil until all sides are golden, stirring often.
Tips
You might want to double this recipe! It’s that good!
