Ingredients
8 ounces pea shoots
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, finely chopped
1/4 cup Pernod (anise-flavored liqueur)
1 quart homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken or vegetable stock
1 pound shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound small shrimp (18 to 22), peeled and deveined
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Coarsely chop just under half of the pea shoots; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add liqueur; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add stock and peas, and cook until peas are tender but still bright green, about 12 minutes. Add chopped pea shoots; cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Puree mixture in a blender in batches (so blender is never more than halfway full). Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add shrimp; boil until pink and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Refrigerate shrimp and the pea puree separately until cold, about 1 hour.
Chop remaining pea shoots into 1-inch pieces; stir together with shallot, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add shrimp; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Divide soup among bowls, and top each serving with shrimp mixture.
