This spring pea soup uses fresh, in season peas to give it a bright and vibrant flavor. If you don’t have fresh peas, feel free to substitute for frozen ones. This soup tastes great served both hot and cold, and don’t forget to garnish each bowlful with a dollop of crème fraiche!
Spring Pea Soup Recipe
Adapted from Food Network
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 5 cups shelled peas (2 packages frozen, 10 ounces each)
- 2/3 cup chopped, fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup crème fraiche, plus additional to garnish
- ½ cup chopped fresh chives, to garnish
- Crisp bacon, to garnish
- Croutons, to garnish
Directions
Add the butter to a large saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted, add the leeks and onion and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the leeks and onions together for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to look translucent.
Add the chicken stock to the large saucepan and raise the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the peas. Cook the peas over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the peas become soft. If using fresh peas, it should only take 3 minutes. If using frozen peas, you’ll need to wait the full 5 minutes for the peas to cook. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the fresh mint, salt, and pepper.
Puree the soup in batches of about 1-2 cups each using a blender. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot all at once. Pour the soup into a large glass bowl and while the mixture is still hot, whisk in the crème fraiche. If not serving the soup right away, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before serving.
When it comes time to serve the soup, feel free to reheat it or serve it cold. Serve each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche, a few croutons, crisp bacon and/or a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives. You can easily chop the chives by snipping them into small pieces using a pair of sharp kitchen shears. It’s much easier to cut them this way than with a knife because of the delicate nature of chives. You can also garnish each bowl with a dollop of fresh, sugar free whipped cream instead of the crème fraiche to change the flavors.