Puréed soups cry out for embellishment. We favor heavy cream, whipped or not; sour cream; snipped chives or minced scallions; or a drizzle of melted butter or olive oil to add more flavor. This minty pea soup from our cookbook “Canal House ” is topped with finely diced ham and lots of chives.
Puréeing hot soup in an electric blender can cause the lid to blow off (scary and dangerous!). The steam from the hot soup builds up when whirling it smooth. Cooling the soup a bit first and working with small batches helps prevent this. Or remove the stopper in the center of the blender lid and cover the hole with a kitchen towel — this allows steam to escape — then purée away.
