Summer brings to memory the foods of our childhood like corn-on-the-cobb, neon popsicles and hot dogs! Oh, and the summer fruits that grace us with their presence merely once a year (at least on the east coast), like peaches, berries, watermelon, plums, cherries, apricots, and many more — we could go on and on.

One of the best parts of summer is the food that accompanies the season. Although we’re no longer children who can slurp slushies all day long, we can still enjoy refreshing foods that capture the essence of summer and the nostalgia that we associate with it. If you’re not indulging in summer fruits and snatching up beautiful, stripey heirloom tomatoes at the farmer’s market, then what exactly are you doing? Take advantage of all that summer has to offer.

Below we’ve included a preview recipe from our founder, Nicole Centeno’s, new cookbook Soup Cleanse Cookbook, which you can pre-order here. It’s perfect for those warm days when all you want to do is lay back and enjoy all that this season has to offer.

Spring Pea With Cashew Cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 scallions, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 ⅓ pounds shelled English peas or frozen green peas, about 5 cups

2 cups water plus 2 cups as needed

Pinch of ground black pepper

Pinch of sea salt

Peel of ½ lemon, grated (about 1 teaspoon)

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 quart ice

¼ cashews, soaked in water overnight and drained

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Cook the scallions and garlic for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is soft and translucent.
  2. Stir in the peas, 2 cups of the water, pepper, and salt, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes. (If using frozen peas, cook for about 5 minutes.)
  3. Remove the pot from the stove. Add the lemon peel, lemon juice, mint, and ice. Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, puree for 3 to 4 minutes, or until very smooth and cool, adding the remaining water as needed to reach this consistency.
  4. In a countertop blender or food processor, combine the cashews with ¼ of the remaining water. Blend until smooth.
  5. Serve immediately in a chilled bowl with a dollop of the cashew cream.

Note: English peas are the roly-poly peas that you pop out of their tougher outer shells. Many stores will also sell the peas pre-shelled. I list the final shelled weight. Peas with an edible outer shell, like sugar snap peas and snow peas, don’t work as well in this recipe.