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Sweet Pea Soup

March 15, 2013 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
Print

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

    March 15, 2013 at 11:08 am

    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

      March 15, 2013 at 3:14 pm

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

      Reply
  2. Nan

    March 15, 2013 at 2:46 pm

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

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      March 15, 2013 at 3:15 pm

      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

      April 12, 2013 at 9:19 pm

      I also hate peas, but I LOVE this soup!

      Reply
      • cathyarkle

        April 12, 2013 at 9:36 pm

        LOL Christina! Who knew?

        Reply
  3. Alice Muradyan

    March 15, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    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

      March 15, 2013 at 3:52 pm

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

      Reply
  4. Valentina Kenney (@cookingweekends)

    March 15, 2013 at 6:29 pm

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

    Reply
  5. cathyarkle

    March 15, 2013 at 6:34 pm

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

    Reply
  6. Leslie Macchiarella

    March 16, 2013 at 1:56 pm

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

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      March 16, 2013 at 2:31 pm

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

      Reply
  7. Cheri Cameron Newell

    March 21, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    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

      March 25, 2013 at 11:33 am

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

      Reply
  8. nusrat2010

    May 7, 2013 at 5:18 pm

    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

      May 9, 2013 at 9:14 am

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

      Reply
  9. Christina Conte

    February 17, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    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

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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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