Ingredients for the Soup
- 4 cups Clear Vegetable Stock
- 1 Shallot, sliced
- 1 ½ cups Freshly Shelled Peas (about 1 ½ pounds unshelled; frozen peas can be substituted)
- 1 loosely packed cup Spinach, rinsed
- 10 fresh Mint Leaves
- 15-20 Ice Cubes
- 3 tablespoons Creme Fraiche
- Salt and White Pepper
- 1 pinch Sugar
Ingredients for Salad
- 12 large Shrimp, in their shells
- ½ Red Onion, minced
- ½ teaspoon Chopped Cilantro
- Squeeze of Lime Juice
- 1 pinch Togarashi
- Salt and Pepper
- 4 Mint Sprigs, for garnish
Directions for Soup
1. Put the vegetable stock and shallot in a sauce pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the peas (if using frozen peas, thaw first), spinach, and mint leaves and cook until the peas are tender, about 1 minute.
3. Remove soup from heat and puree in three to four batches in a high-speed blender or food processor, adding 5 ice cubes t0 each batch.
4. Whisk in creme fraiche. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer.
5. Season with salt, white pepper, and sugar.
6. The soup can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated; it is best served the day it is made.
DIrections for Salad
1. Cook shrimp in a pot of boiling water until pink, about 3 minutes.
2. Let cool slightly, remove the shells and devein.
3. Slice shrimp into ½ inch pieces.
4. Combine shrimp pieces with red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and togarashi.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Refrigerate until serving time; this salad can be prepared earlier in the day.
TO SERVE
- Divide the shrimp salad between four soup bowls and top with mint sprigs.
- Bring the bowls to the table and pour the soup over the shrimp. To look like a pro, pour the soup from a decorative pot, maybe a teapot.
