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Sweet Pea Soup

by Cathy Arkle 17 Comments

cathy nelson arkle

Every once in a while I make a recipe that is so simple that I wonder how it can be so good.  Sweet Pea Soup is just that – refreshingly easy to make and bright in color as well as flavor.

If you need a taste of spring in the midst of winter… this is it.

Photo by Cathy Nelson Arkle
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Sweet Pea Soup

Course Soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Author adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

  • Good olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots 2 large shallots
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
  • 2 leeks chopped
  • 4 cups chicken stock preferably homemade
  • 2 pounds frozen peas
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh chives for garnish - optional

Instructions

  1. In a deep (8 x 5-inch) heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic and leeks, and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Add the chicken stock, frozen peas, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Puree with an immersion blender until coarsely pureed. (I like it to have some texture.) Alternatively, use a blender to puree the soup 1 cup at a time.
  4. Pour the soup back into the pot and season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of the stock, I may add up to another teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to give the soup a very bright flavor.
  5. Reheat the soup and serve. Drizzle with a little olive oil, garnish with chives and serve hot.

 

Quote of the Day

” Keep it simple but not too simple“- Albert Einstein

This soup is simple enough to make me happy, and not too simple to keep me from making it again.
…and then, she paused for thought.

Yum

Filed Under: Breakfast / Brunch, Fruit & Veggies, Healthy, Party Food, Recipes, Soup, Super Easy Tagged With: frozen peas, pea soup, simple soup recipes, Sweet Pea Soup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie Grose

    at

    Hi Cathy,

    Did you know that our Grandma Clark used to make a soup very similar to this? She used the blender to puree it — it was her “quick and easy” lunch she used to say. So – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Love, Cousin Julie

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      Hi Julie, I did not know that. This is as close as I get to Irish cooking… its at least green. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Nan

    at

    I’m not a fan of peas but this photo is so beautiful it has convinced me to try the soup!
    🙂

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      Thanks Nan. My husband doesn’t like peas either and loves this soup. Please give it a try and let me know what you think.

      Reply
    • Christina

      at

      I also hate peas, but I LOVE this soup!

      Reply
      • cathyarkle

        at

        LOL Christina! Who knew?

        Reply
  3. Alice Muradyan

    at

    what a paradigm shift, I always associated pea soup with dry peas, what a great idea to make them with frozen peas!!! I love it!!! thank you!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      Alice, I think you will really like the frozen pea version. Please let me know.

      Reply
  4. Valentina Kenney (@cookingweekends)

    at

    Cathy — this is absolutely beautiful and I bet it’s as delicious as it is pretty! I love that bowl, too!

    Reply
  5. cathyarkle

    at

    Thanks Valentina! I picked up those bowl when I was in France. They are my favorite.

    Reply
  6. Leslie Macchiarella

    at

    Yum! It looks so inviting that I’m so going to add it to the St Paddy’s feast! Thank you!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      Thanks Leslie, it is always nice to have something easy to make in the middle of a big feast.

      Reply
  7. Cheri Cameron Newell

    at

    CATH… I remember a soup that you made for me long ago… it was asparagus with an asian flair. It was to die for. This one looks every bit as good. Haven’t been cooking since my twins left for college (taking a little break and that’s been 2 years ago!)… but just might have to pull a couple of pots out of the cabinet!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      Cheri I will have to dig that recipe up. Thanks for the reminder.

      Reply
  8. nusrat2010

    at

    Like I said almost hundred times that I’m obsessed with your food photography 🙂

    That soup of yours is to die for. I’d add couple of sauteed red, hot shrimps on top for a little crunch and color. ( Shrimp-obsessed me can’t think of anything without shrimps) 🙂

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      at

      I love the idea of adding shrimp. I could eat it on anything as well. Ok, almost anything. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Christina Conte

    at

    Just made pea soup tonight and linked to your recipe here, but there’ something wrong and it won’t let me edit. I’ll be BACK! Love your photos!

    Reply

I would love to hear from you!Cancel reply

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Welcome to She Paused 4 Thought! I’m Cathy - a farm girl from Iowa living in Los Angeles. Let’s cook, laugh, travel & have fun together. Read More…

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