Pea Soup (Printable Version)
Silky green pea soup with carrots, celery and thyme—blend smooth; top with crème fraîche or crusty bread.
# Ingredient List:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 3 cups frozen or fresh green peas
→ Liquids
07 - 4 cups vegetable broth
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Optional Toppings
11 - Crème fraîche or plain yogurt, for topping
12 - Croutons or crusty bread, for serving
# How to Make:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning.
02 - Add the minced garlic, diced carrots, and diced celery to the pot. Sauté the mixture for about 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant.
03 - Pour in the green peas and vegetable broth, then add the dried thyme. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partially and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
04 - Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until silky smooth. Alternatively, transfer the mixture in batches to a standard blender and blend until fully puréed.
05 - Return the blended soup to the pot over low heat. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls. Garnish each serving with a swirl of crème fraîche or plain yogurt and a sprinkle of extra parsley if desired. Serve immediately alongside croutons or crusty bread.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns a bag of frozen peas into something that tastes like you spent all day cooking.
- The color alone is enough to pull anyone out of a gray mood.
02 -
- Do not skip blending thoroughly because any stray chunks of carrot or celery will feel out of place in an otherwise silky soup.
- Passing the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve transforms it from good dinner soup to something that would pass at a dinner party without changing a single ingredient.
03 -
- Frozen peas are actually better than fresh for this soup because they are picked and frozen at peak sweetness and you never have to shell anything.
- A squeeze of lemon juice right before serving wakes up every flavor in the bowl without making it taste like lemon soup.