Minty Pea Soup with Roasted Almonds, Mint Vinegar

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas (from about 6 pounds pods) or frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup, plus 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Preparation
Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes for fresh peas, about 2 minutes for frozen.

Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve warm or chilled soup with roasted almonds and a splash of mint vinegar, Top with crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.

MINT VINEGAR

5 oz White Vinegar
1 Bunch Fresh Mint
Wash and dry mint leaves. Heat vinegar until it just begins to bubble around the edge of a sauce pan. Put mint leaves in a jar or bottle. Add vinegar and allow time to steep. Last about a month in the refrigerator.