With St. Patrick's Day just a few days away, I'm turning my attention to a healthy and festive way to celebrate. In a house where 50% of the adults are vegetarian, and the other 50% is trying to lose weight, the traditional corned beef and cabbage and endless pints of Guinness just won't cut it. Therefore I stretched my culinary endeavor to tackle a creamy pea soup with mint, whose color just screams, "Top o' the mornin' to ya." 

Warning: this isn't just your boring old pea soup. Keep reading for a unique presentation that can elevate this comfort food to something you can use to impress on St. Paddy's Day.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large uncooked leeks
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 6 cups frozen green peas
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, reserving several leaves for garnish 

Instructions

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. 

While butter melts, thoroughly clean the leeks, then chop white and green parts of the leeks. (Discard the roots and dark green ends.)

Once melted, add the chopped leeks and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. 

Cook until leeks are softened, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes.

Add broth and peas to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. 

Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender, about five minutes.

Stir in lime juice, yogurt, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, mint and sugar.

Puree soup in the pot using an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree in batches in a regular blender. 

If you're feeling more traditional, pair a hot bowl with a piece of warm, crusty bread for instant comfort. Garnish with a small dollop of Greek yogurt and a fresh mint leaf, and you're all set.

Maybe instead you're looking for a unique twist on presentation? Consider serving it cold in shot glasses as soup shooters. This party sized presentation will surely be a hit among your friends and family.

Note: even after pureeing, this soup will remain a bit chunky. If you're opting for the shooters, you may want to strain the soup for a more fine consistency.

Hopefully you'll find this recipe to be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow this St. Patrick's Day, but if you're looking for something a bit more sinful, you might want to try this recipe for Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

Do you have any special dishes you like to make this time of year? Perhaps any plans to celebrate this weekend? From green beer to time with family, I'd love to hear all about it.