Chilled English Pea Soup with Fava Bean–Almond Salsa

Chilled English Pea Soup:

• 2 1/4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 medium white onion, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
• 4 cups shelled English peas
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fava Bean and Almond Salsa:

• 1 pound fava beans, shucked, blanched and peeled (roughly 1/2 cup beans)
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds
• 1/4 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 Fresno chile, minced
• 1/4 shallot, minced
• Zest and juice a quarter of a lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon chopped tarragon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and thyme until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and sauté for 2 minutes. Add enough vegetable stock to cover the peas and simmer until they are just tender, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the soup to another bowl and set it inside the bowl filled with ice water. Once cool, purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Add the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roughly chop the fava beans and almonds and transfer to a mixing bowl. In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a small pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil until it forms a paste. Add the garlic paste, remaining olive oil, Fresno chile, shallots, lemon juice, lemon zest, and tarragon to the favas and almonds. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour a cup of the soup into a chilled bowl and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the salsa into the center.