A friend of mine taught me how to make this recipe, not really giving me measurements, but more of the general idea of how to make this delicious soup. He said to me, “We are going to make a super complicated soup . . . nah, just kidding, its basically just peas.” Pea Soup is kind of miraculous because it has hardly any ingredients, takes barely any time, but because you are just letting the peas shine, you end up with something truly delicious. Even if your kids tell you they don’t like peas, I urge you to have them try this soup. It is tasty and refreshing. It feels like spring kind of coming to life. This makes the perfect side dish to so many mains dishes. You’ll notice I tossed in some of my homemade croutons; their addition is perfection.
How to Make Pea Soup
We start off just by heating a little olive oil in a dutch oven and sautéing onions and a little garlic. Add in a little salt and black pepper. That is all we are using to season this soup, and I urge you to go easy on them. You can add a little more at the end if necessary. Pour in some vegetable stock and bring it to a simmer. I chose vegetable stock because it keeps this soup completely vegan – a great way to accommodate those on that diet. Next we add in frozen peas. The key here is to cook them just until they are soft. You want to keep them bright green. If you cook them too long they lose not only their bright color, but their bright taste. Finally, I added just a little bit of lemon juice. It doesn’t make the soup taste lemony, but that little bit of acid pulls everything together and brings the soup to life.
Why Not Use Fresh Peas?
While we use a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in my house, we do lean on frozen foods. Frozen produce in particular is great because it is frozen at it’s peak ripeness and you aren’t losing any of the nutrients during freezing. In this particular case time and cost make frozen peas perfect for this recipe. I assure you that they make for a delicious soup that tastes very fresh.
Storing
If you have left overs, allow them to cool (only until not steaming) and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing
This soup freezes very well. I like to freeze it in individual portions so that I am only thawing exactly what I plan on eating. Allow to cool until no longer steaming, then transfer to an airtight container. Make sure to leave an inch extra space in the container to account for expansion. Freeze for up to three months.
Reheating
Reheat this soup over low heat, stirring occasionally.
What to Serve with Pea Soup
This soup would be so great on the side of so many recipes. Here are a few recipes that I think it would go particularly well with.
Baked Chicken ThighsStuffed Pork LoinTurkey MeatloafTurkey Breast
All of those recipes with this soup and an Arugula Salad would make you feel like a star entertainer. But, truly, all of them are easy enough for just family meal time. If you make this soup or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
