Green Pea Soup

My daughter, looking over my shoulder as I try to decided tonight's dinner, sees green pea soup, and declares that's what she wants.  Ok then.   I really enjoyed it, and if you omit the optional creme fraiche, and cooked the leeks in oil, it would be vegan.   One thing to note, my beloved immersion blender failed me!  It didn't make the smooth purée I wanted and it flung a good portion all over the place.  Next time I will use the blender and make another dish to insure less soup flinging and a better consistency.  Also, I didn't read the recipe correctly at first and had dumped in the salt and 2 cups of low sodium broth before I realized that the store bought stuff needed to he diluted and as a result it was on the salty side. All in all a solid 4!  Maybe even a bit higher...  I'm not feeling great today and that might cloud my perception but I'm sticking with the 4, for now:)



Green Pea Soup
 
1 Tbl unsalted butter
1 medium leek root trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2 Tsp kosher salt plus more as needed
2 1/2 Cup homemade vegetable broth or 1 cup low sodium store-bought vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water
1/8 Tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more as needed
3 Cup shelled fresh peas (from about 2 1/2 -pounds of peas in their pods) or 1 (16 -ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
1/4 Cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice plus more as needed
Crème fraîche for serving (optional)


Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add
the leek, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and a pinch of pepper and cook,
stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the broth, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and measured pepper and
bring to a boil. Add the peas and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat
to medium low and simmer until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint leaves, and stir to combine.
Let sit uncovered until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
Using a blender, pure the soup in batches until smooth, removing the
small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space
with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the lid
from popping off). Transfer the soup to a clean saucepan (if serving
warm) or a heatproof bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season
with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed. If serving warm,
reheat over low heat. If serving cold, let cool to room temperature,
cover, then refrigerate until cold. Top each serving with a dollop of
crme frache, if desired.