HS note: (Defrosted) frozen peas and corn are fine to use here. Also, as I mentioned up above, the original recipe calls for tomatillo in place of the zucchini I used here. It's what I had on hand, and I also figured it would make the recipe more accessible to many of you. If you prefer to give the tomatillo a go, use a few small ones, and remove their outer lantern-like covering. Proceed with them whole in place of the zucchini.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small-med zucchini, seeded, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 white onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups corn kernels
3 1/2 - 4 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup green peas
a small handful of fresh cilantro, plus more to serve
1 small serrano chile, charred and peeled*
3 large romaine lettuce leaves, or equivalent
2 1/2 - 3 teaspoons fine grain sea salt, or to tasteto serve: toasted pepitas, creme fraiche or salted yogurt, lime wedges, cilantro, chopped roasted serrano
Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a large soup pot, add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Remove from the skillet and blend using a hand blender or standard blender. I like a little texture here, but it is a matter of preference - smooth is also fine.
Wipe out the skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and fry the onion and garlic, without browning, until soft. Add the pureed zucchini and cook over high heat for about three minutes, stirring constantly.
Blend the corn kernels in a separate bowl, or blender, with 2 cups of water, peas, cilantro, chile, and lettuce leaves. Really aim to get the mixture very smooth before adding to the zucchini mixture. Cook over medium-high heat for another few minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan constantly. Add another 1 1/2 cups of water, or more, depending on the consistency you like. Add the salt, plus more to taste, if needed. Serve with lots of the suggested toppings.
Serves 4-6.
*To char the chiles: place whole chiles on a hot skillet or grill, cook, rotating regularly, until blistered and charred on all sides. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover, and let steam for a few minutes. Now the chiles are ready to peel.
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