English Pea Soup
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: EnglishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes18
minutesI am a huge fan of fresh peas. It is very hard for me to eat frozen peas once you have enjoyed the taste of spring in fresh shelled peas. The shelling can be a pain, but the work is worth it. Once they are shelled, you can eat them raw in a salad. I like to toss them into pasta, curries, salads or soups. I love the simplicity of this soup.
This recipe is so simple and so delicious. It tastes creamy yet has no cream. I do make it with chicken broth but use vegetable broth if you are vegetarian or vegan.
I do serve with a dollop of creme friache and chopped fresh chives or mint. I make this all the time when I can get my hands on pounds of fresh peas.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup yellow onion, chopped or shallots (I prefer shallots)
4 cups chicken broth
5 cups fresh peas or 2 packed frozen peas
3/4 cup fresh chopped mint
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Creme fraiche for garnish
1/2 cup chopped chives for garnish
Directions
- melt butter in a large Dutch oven, addd the leeks and shallots and cook stirring occasionally for 8 minutes until both are tender but not browning. Add the stock and increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Add the fresh peas and cook for 5 minutes. (Frozen peas will cook for 3 minutes)
- Remove from heat and stir in the mint and season with more salt and pepper.
- Either using a blender or an immersion blender, puree the soup. Be careful as hot liquids tend to spatter so use care and don’t do to much at once.
- Once soup is pureed, taste and then season again. Serve warm or cold in bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of chives. Some French Finishing salt adds a kick as well.
- The soup will keep refrigerated for 2 days. It can be made 1 day ahead.
