Pea and Mint Soup with Caviar

By Beleaev Family | Beleaev Caviar & Gourmet

Blend peas with fresh mint into four chilled starter bowls and give each portion 20g of crème fraîche plus 5g of Royal Baeri Caviar. One 20g caviar tin is used completely, with the soup cooled before any chilled topping is added.

Four-bowl shopping list

Serving plan: four starter bowls. Measure the finished soup and divide it evenly; blending, straining and evaporation change the actual volume.

Equipment

• Medium saucepan and lid
• Knife, board and colander
• Heat-safe blender and fine sieve
• Large bowl set over an ice bath
• Measuring jug, four chilled bowls and digital scale

Cook briefly, then chill

1. Prepare the green base. Slice the spring onions and separate the mint leaves from tough stems.
2. Soften the onion. Melt 20g butter in the saucepan and cook the spring onions gently until flexible, without colouring them.
3. Add peas and stock. Pour in 600ml stock, bring it back to a simmer and add the frozen peas. Follow the frozen pea pack's cooking instructions and cook until tender enough to blend.
4. Blend with mint. Remove the pan from the heat, add 12g mint and process within the blender's hot-liquid capacity. Pass the mixture through the sieve.
5. Cool promptly. Stir the bowl over an ice bath, then add 10ml lemon juice and pepper. Move the soup to refrigeration under suitable kitchen practice once it has cooled sufficiently.
6. Measure the service. Stir the cold soup, note its total volume and divide it across four chilled bowls. Add 20g crème fraîche and 5g Royal Baeri to each, followed by the remaining mint.

Preserve the planned yield

Measure the strained soup before dividing it into four portions. Divide the finished batch evenly; thin only if its texture needs adjusting. Keep the finished soup chilled until assembly.

Pea-soup troubleshooting

• The soup is fibrous: use the fine sieve after blending and discard the trapped skins rather than forcing them through.
• The mint dominates: retain the stated 12g in the blender and use only 3g as the final garnish; do not add a whole unweighed bunch.
• The soup separates while chilling: whisk it before portioning and record whether a shorter blend or finer sieve is needed.
• The crème fraîche sinks: check the cold consistency and spoon it gently onto the surface before adding caviar.

Allergens and cooling limits

Fish and milk are present. Stock may contain celery, gluten or other allergens, so check the exact ingredients and all cross-contact statements. Use appropriate rapid-cooling and refrigeration procedures for cooked soup. The caviar and crème fraîche remain under their individual pack instructions until service. No fixed make-ahead, opened-product or leftover period is claimed by this recipe.

Divide the actual finished volume

The final volume changes with straining and evaporation. Divide the finished batch evenly between four bowls rather than promising four identical 230ml bowls from every batch. If thinning is needed, use chilled ready-to-use stock gradually and note any additional amount; do not add dry stock powder to the serving bowls.

A small ribbon of ready-to-eat smoked salmon is an optional addition. Keep the four caviar portions at 5g each. For a different caviar, use Oscietra Royal at the same 20g total rather than topping by an unmeasured spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I blend the peas straight from frozen?

Follow the pea pack's cooking instructions first. The method cooks the peas before blending; frozen vegetables are not automatically ready to eat.

Why strain the soup?

The sieve removes fibrous skins and gives a smoother texture. Do not force coarse material through simply to recover every millilitre.

Compare with chilled vichyssoise or cauliflower velouté.

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