Joe Yonan, food and dining editor for the Washington Post, joined us on the March 29, 2019 broadcast of The Virginia Eats + Drinks Show to talk about some of his favorite spring vegetables. He shares this recipe from his book Eat Your Vegetables [Ten Speed Press; first edition August 6, 2013]
On a hot day, I want a cold pureed soup. This one goes down almost like a green smoothie, but I turn it into a meal by holding out some of the peas, mashing them with feta, and spreading it on thin toast as if it were the world’s largest crouton. (There’s a fine line between a smoothie and a cold soup; it’s mostly a matter of the serving vessel and the garnish, isn’t it?) By the way, I don’t recommend low-fat or nonfat yogurt here, because the result can be slightly chalky rather than silky.
INGREDIENTS
1½ cups freshly shelled English peas (may substitute thawed frozen peas)
2 tablespoons crumbled feta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices baguette or 1 large slice bread, toasted
8 large mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup chopped chives
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
1 ice cube
Sea salt
METHOD
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, then blanch the peas until bright green and tender but not mushy, no more than a few minutes. Drain and let cool.
Remove ¼ cup of the peas and combine them in a small bowl with the feta. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, mash with a fork, and spread on the toast. Reserve a pinch each of the mint and chives for garnish. Combine the rest with the remaining 1¼ cup of peas, the yogurt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a blender, add the ice cube, and blend until very smooth and frothy. Add a little water if needed to thin the soup.
Taste and add salt as needed. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with the reserved chopped mint and chives, and eat with the pea and feta toast.
For more information on Joe Yonan visit here [LINK]
Joe also shares his recipe for Asparagus with Romesco Blanco here [LINK]
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