Chilled Minted Pea Soup

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter until it foams. Add the chopped onion and salt to taste, cooking over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and half the chicken stock and simmer uncovered until the peas are tender and warm, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mint and the remaining stock.

Remove the pan from the heat. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until very smooth. (Be careful when working with hot liquids in a blender: place a cloth over the blender lid to avoid an explosion.) Push each batch of soup through a sieve until only the dry solids remain. Discard the solids with each batch. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste to the pureed and strained soup.

Chill covered in the refrigerator until ice cold before serving.

Yogurt or sour cream may be substituted for part of the cream quantity, or used as a garnish. The soup may be made up to one day in advance; the mixture will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. Thin with stick or more cream, if desired.