Petite Pea bisque with Asparagus and Poached Lobster
One of my favorite spring soups!
Who says that you can't eat for good health and enjoy something luxurious and delicious at the same time! The other day I had a craving for lobster and it was on sale at Whole Foods. I knew that I didn't want a lot so I bought two of the tails and had them de-shelled. Then what to do with them? I knew that I was making a pea and asparagus soup that evening so I decided that a lobster garnish might be in order.
Many chefs I know poach lobster in butter which makes the meat tasty and utterly delicious, but that night but I decided to use olive oil instead. I was glad that I did because poaching lobster in extra virgin olive oil brings out the sweetness of the meat yet does not leave the meat greasy. I'm not sure why that is so, but I loved the results! You'll need an immersion blender for this recipe or you can puree it in batches in a Vitamix or blender, but I recommend getting an immersion blender if you don't have one. From soups to smoothies, it's one of my favorite easy to grab and easy to use appliances!
Poaching the lobster is so very simple. Just fill a saucepan with about an inch of really good olive oil and set it to simmer. Then put the lobster in and gently (GENTLY!) poach it until it's cooked. Remove it from the oil and put it into a bowl and dust it with a bit of sea salt, pepper and fresh dill. Toss, slice into little pieces and set aside.
For the soup you will need to set approximately 6 cups of chicken broth to simmer. Add two bags of frozen Petite peas (or petit pois as my mother used to say!) and a bunch of asparagus that you've diced, using everything but the woody bottoms. Add 4 shallots that you've minced and two yellow thin-skinned potatoes. Let everything simmer until it’s fork tender, add a teaspoon of dried or fresh spearmint and then grab your immersion blender and blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. Add a tablespoon or two of your favorite infused olive oil, for this I use lemon, basil or white truffle! Please don’t try to use any other mint for this except for Spearmint or Persian mint. Any other mint will just be too strong!
Add salt and pepper to taste and about two tablespoons of dried or fresh dill. Ladle into a soup bowl and top with the lobster. That's it. No cream...no butter. The potato and the olive oil give it the richness and the lobster is such a treat although if you don't want shellfish, you could easily garnish this soup in a Persian style (New York Times photo above), with a drizzle of raw honey and a blend of pomegranates, crumbled pistachios, dried or fresh organic rose petals, chopped fresh spearmint and labneh! This is a really good base for any healthy soup and sometimes I add wild ramps, sometimes leeks and/or green onions, sometimes spinach. I do find kale to be too strong.
I love green soups in the midwinter when my body tells me that it's time to begin to lighten things up. Because this soup is made without butter or cream it's really easy to digest. The greens are tonifying and you can add as many fresh herbs as you want to which will enhance the cleansing effect. I recommend fresh dill, as it's a gentle and purely natural diuretic that is perfect for cleansing the kidneys and the bladder during this time of year.
Serve with a fresh green salad, a baguette and a lovely glass of white wine if you're so inclined and you've got a light and wonderful meal to enjoy in honor of the coming spring days!