Mint Soup Food

CHILLED CUCUMBER MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Cut one of the cucumbers into small dice, and set aside for garnish. Cut the others into large chunks. Combine cucumber chunks, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, and water in a blender and puree until smooth.
• Add scallions and mint leaves, reserving some of the mint for garnish, and puree briefly. Season with salt and pepper, and add more lemon juice if a tarter flavor is desired.
• Chill until ready to serve. Stir well before serving, and ladle into bowls or mugs, garnishing each serving with a big spoonful of diced cucumber and a sprig of mint.

TURKISH RED LENTIL SOUP WITH MINT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook and stir the onion in the hot oil until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir the garlic into the onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes to the onion mixture; continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken stock, red lentils, bulgur, rice, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne pepper, and mint to the tomato mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the the lentils and rice are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender to no more than half full. Firmly hold the lid in place and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth; pour into your serving dish. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup in cooking pot.

MINT CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Peel and cut 1 1/2 of the cucumbers into large chunks (set the remaining unpeeled 1/2 cucumber aside).
• Combine the cucumber chunks in a food processor with the yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, mint, salt, garlic and plenty of white pepper. Pulse, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth.
• Ladle the mixture into cold bowls or refrigerate until serving. Chop the remaining cucumber into fine dice and divide among the bowls. Swirl some sour cream into each bowl, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and scatter with mint and almonds.

TOMATO AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until softened, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir for 1 minute, over medium heat. Slowly pour in the milk and stock, stirring continuously until smooth. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the sauce to the tomato mixture and discard the lime/bay leaves. Mix in the chopped mint, sugar and cream (if using). Gently simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with mint leaves and serve with crusty bread.

GREEN PEA AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the 4 chopped green onions, and cook until softened, but not brown. Stir in the peas, vegetable stock, and 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint. Increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat back to low, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. If you are using frozen peas, 15 minutes is enough.
• Using a large slotted spoon, remove about 3 tablespoons of the peas, and set aside for garnish. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor along with the milk, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Throw in a pinch of sugar if desired. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
• Pour the soup into 4 serving bowls. Swirl 1 tablespoon of light cream into each one, then garnish with reserved peas and sprigs of mint.

PEA & MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Put the spring onions into a large pan with the potato, garlic and stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is very soft. For the garnish, blanch 3 tbsp of the shelled peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, put in a bowl of cold water and set aside. Add the remaining peas to the soup base and simmer for 5 minutes - no longer, or you will lose the lovely fresh flavour of the peas.
• Stir in the mint, sugar and lemon or lime juice, cool slightly then pour into a food processor or liquidiser and whizz until as smooth as you like. Stir in half the buttermilk or soured cream, taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve the soup cold, cool quickly, then chill - you may need to add more stock to the soup before serving as it will thicken as it cools. To serve hot, return the soup to the rinsed-out pan and reheat without boiling (to prevent the buttermilk or soured cream from curdling).
• Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the remaining buttermilk and the drained peas.

ZUCCHINI-MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until skins turn bright green, about 3 minutes. Add stock and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until zucchini is tender, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Puree zucchini mixture in a food processor. Return to pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon mint. Season with salt, if desired. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon mint. Serve immediately. Keep warm on stove over medium-low heat, if necessary.

MINTY PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes for fresh peas, about 2 minutes for frozen.
• Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve warm soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.

MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Soak shrimp in warm water to cover in a bowl 5 minutes, then drain in a sieve, discarding water. Bring stock and shrimp to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in mint and immediately remove from heat. Add eggs in a slow stream, stirring slowly in one direction, then stir in salt and pepper.

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN, LEMON AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the chicken, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, mint sprigs, red pepper flakes and water or broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, skimming as needed, 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool and discard the vegetable mixture. Return the stock to the saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer until it is slightly reduced and flavorful, about 30 minutes. Add the rice and simmer until tender, about 20 more minutes.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin, then remove the meat from the bones and tear it into bite-size pieces. Add to the stock and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice, chopped mint, and salt and cayenne pepper to taste; cook 2 to 3 more minutes.

CARROT AND MINT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the oil in a large pan. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook gently until soft.
• Add the stock and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Puree or pass through a sieve. Cool.
• If freezing ahead then pour soup into a rigid container, seal, label and freeze.
• Spoon into a saucepan and heat gently until thawed. Stir in the blended cornstarch and bring to the boil, gently simmer and continue stirring until slightly thickened, now add the chopped mint.
• Garnish with mint and serve with croutons.