I hope you weren’t thinking of using canned or frozen peas to make a great-tasting pea soup.
With fresh peas and a few more ingredients, you’ll enjoy a great meal in no time. Complement this gourmet soup with rustic French or Italian bread and your favorite wine. Bon appetit!
Prep time:10 minutes
Cook time:15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped white or brown onion
2 to 3 cups cold water
3 cups fresh, shelled green peas
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Dash grated nutmeg
1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 to 4 fresh mint leaf sprigs
Prepare the Soup:
1. In a 4-quart sauce pot, heat the oil (it should not smoke).
2. When oil is hot, add the chopped onion; stir-fry onion with wooden spoon until it is translucent – about 2 minutes.
3. When onion is translucent, pour in 2 cups of the water and stir in the peas.
4. Bring the soup to a boil.
5. When the soup comes to a boil, add salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
6. Cook the soup on medium-high, making sure it boils, for about 5 minutes.
7. After 5 minutes, add 1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillon; set heat on medium to medium-low and simmer the soup for about 10 minutes or until peas are tender.
8. When peas are tender, taste the soup. If another bouillon cube is needed, you may add it at this point.
9. Set the sauce pot with soup aside on a cold burner.
Puree/Blend the Soup:
1. When soup is lukewarm, transfer one-third of it to a blender.
2. Add cream to soup in blender; blend soup until smooth or slightly lumpy-smooth, per taste.
3. Transfer this first batch of soup to a large glass or porcelain bowl; repeat blending the remaining soup in two more batches.
4. Transfer the last two batches to bowl.
5. Return the blended soup to the sauce pot; bring to a boil.
6. When soup boils, stir in the sliced carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Serve soup immediately; garnish with fresh mint leaf sprig.
Text & Photograph ©2017 Nancy DeLucia Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute and is a member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
