Peas Please

 

Happy Earth Day!  In the spirit of "eating green" I took to the kitchen yesterday and made my family an emerald-hued pea soup.

Pea eaters typically group into one of two camps: those who like and those who loathe.  I happen to fall into the former, and I eagerly look forward to spring and the abundance of pea recipes that come my way. 

Around these parts, fresh peas don't appear in the garden or the markets until June or July,  but I always keep a bag of frozen peas tucked away in my freezer for frequent use through the spring months.  They are economical and good for you and easily transformed into something more than a buttered spherical seed used to accompany a piece of protein.  

Peas seem as though they were almost designed with kids in mind.  Easily pureed for baby meals, bite-sized enough for toddler fingers and mild tasting for the pickiest of palates there are more than enough ways to incorporate peas into your family meals.  For those who would rather roll their peas into a napkin then into their mouth, there are also plenty of tasty pea puree options sure to please.

Tell me, which camp do you fall into?  

Pea Soup with Thyme

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
• 1 baking potato, not peeled and diced
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot set over medium-high heat.  Add the leek, carrot, celery and potato. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until the leek and celery are softened but not browned.

Add the peas, thyme and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the thyme and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth.  Add the cream and heat thoroughly.  Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve warm.

Comments

[Cheryl Arkison]

Just reading this post made my tummy a little upset. I am definitely on the loathe side of peas. But that doesn't stop me from serving them to my family. If my girls ate soup I would probably try this for them and Hubby (all voracious pea eaters).

[Jan Scott]

Cheryl, I feel exactly the same way about tomatoes!

[Ellen Zames]

This sounds delicious and it's so easy. I absolutely LOVE pea soup and I always have frozen peas on hand. Can't wait to try it.

http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com

Ellen