This smooth, chilled soup combines the gentle sweetness of peas with fresh mint and lemon yogurt. Toasted buckwheat adds a hearty, nutty crunch to every spoonful.
Peas give this soup body and a gentle, slightly sweet flavor. Frozen peas are a practical choice here: they’re already shelled and give an even result. In late spring and early summer, you can also use fresh peas; keep in mind that shelling takes time and the cooking time may vary slightly from one harvest to another. A small onion adds savoriness without overpowering the flavor of the peas. Don’t use too much stock: the soup should be smooth and spoonable, not thin.
The peas cook only briefly, just long enough to become tender. Cooking them for too long makes their fresh flavor less pronounced. Then let the soup cool completely before blending in the mint. This keeps the mint tasting fresh and prevents you from accidentally serving the soup lukewarm. A blender gives the smoothest result; an immersion blender works too, though the texture may be a little less silky. Cool the soup more quickly by pouring it into a shallow dish.
The lemon yogurt brings creamy freshness and a little tang, while toasted buckwheat adds contrast. Toast the buckwheat groats in a dry frying pan and keep an eye on them: once they smell fragrant and start to pop here and there, they’re ready. Use whole, uncooked buckwheat groats, not cooked buckwheat. Greek yogurt gives you a thick swirl; regular full-fat yogurt works too, but runs a little more easily. Taste the yogurt after adding the lemon juice and zest, so the acidity brightens the soup without overpowering it.
Serve the soup well chilled in small bowls or wide glasses, as a starter on a warm day. Add the buckwheat at the last moment, otherwise it will lose its crunch. You can make the soup ahead and keep it covered in the fridge; cool it quickly after cooking and serve within two days. Keep the yogurt and buckwheat separate until serving. Stir the soup well before serving. The soup is meant to be eaten cold; reheating it would take away its fresh character.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onion gently for 4 minutes, without letting it brown.
Add the vegetable stock and peas. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 3 minutes, until the peas are tender. Remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the soup into a shallow dish and place it in a bowl of cold water or ice to cool quickly. Then cover the dish and refrigerate until the soup is completely cold, at least 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, toast the buckwheat groats in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir regularly; after 4–6 minutes, once they smell nutty and start to pop here and there, remove them from the pan and let them cool.
Blend the cold soup with the mint leaves in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with the salt and black pepper.
Stir the yogurt until smooth with the lemon juice and zest. Divide the soup among four bowls, spoon the lemon yogurt on top and use the back of a spoon to make a swirl. Scatter over the buckwheat just before serving and finish with a few mint leaves.
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