Pistachio Soup Recipe

Top view of pistachio soup in a white crimp-edged bowl with mint leaves.

This creamy Pistachio Soup is silky smooth, has a distinctive nutty flavor, and is ready in just 30 minutes. Made with simple, wholesome ingredients, this elegant soup is delicious year-round—either served warm on a cool evening or chilled on a summer day.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Soup, First Course

Cuisine: American, Persian

Keyword: make-ahead dish

Servings: to 6

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

olive oil for the pan and garnish
¾ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons fresh ginger pulp
½ cup peeled, roughly chopped Russet potato
8 ounces (+ a few for garnish) shelled, raw pistachios
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
4 cups chicken stock warmed or at room temperature
4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves about 3 ounces, washed and dried
¼ cup (+ a few for garnish) loosely packed mint leaves about 1 dozen large leaves, washed and dried
salt and black pepper to taste
⅛ cup golden raisins

Instructions

Cook first 5 ingredients. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized soup pot (about 3 quart) with olive oil. Place it over low-medium heat and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes and then add the ginger. Cook until the onion is soft and add the potato, pistachios, and cardamom. Cook, stirring every so often, until it's very aromatic, about 3 minutes.
Add stock and simmer. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and then immediately turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
Blend with greens. Add the spinach and mint leaves to the blender and pour the contents of the pot on top. In a powerful blender (like a Vitamix) blend until it's super smooth.
Season, garnish, and serve. Season the soup to taste with salt and black pepper. (I use about 1 teaspoon Kosher salt.) Portion the soup into serving bowls (4 for main course and 6 for first course), and garnish each with a drizzle of olive oil, a few pistachios, and a few golden raisins. Serve.

Notes

Ginger: if you can't use fresh ginger, use ¾ teaspoon ground ginger.

Potato: a Yukon Gold potato works well too.

Pistachios: use shelled, raw pistachios (unsalted and not roasted).

Vegetarian or vegan version: use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The soup will be slightly lighter, and still very tasty.

Thinner soup: stir in a little more stock or water.

Serving it cold: make it at least 4 hours ahead, refrigerating it as soon as it's room temperature.

Make ahead and freezing: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze for about 6 weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove over medium-low heat.

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition