Fresh Peas, If You Please!
I love fresh peas. I actually love most all peas – fresh, frozen, and especially Irish dried peas. When I first spy fresh peas in the stores, for me, it’s a sparkly sign of all the great things that are just on the horizon. Planting my garden, longer days, delicious fruits and vegetables and the nearness of summer. This is not a heavy soup, it’s a fresh and light English Pea Soup.
If you can’t find fresh peas, make this with frozen baby peas. That will give you the sweetness that makes this soup so good and so much lighter than other types of pea soups – those made with heavy dried peas. But, when you see those lovely green jewels in the fresh produce isle, grab ’em while they’re in and try this soup. It’s a great main dish or as a starter. I think it’s just as good served cold as it is warm.
Easy “Peasy”
Mince 2 shallots and 1-2 cloves of garlic. In a medium pan, saute with 1 tablespoon olive oil, until the shallot is translucent. Add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock and 3 cups of peas. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a bit of ground pepper. Let this cook for about 10 minutes on low. Turn off the heat.
In a small bowl, add 1 cup Greek yogurt, the zest of one lemon and the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix well. Set aside.
When the soup has cooled a bit, add in batches to your blender. Let the blender really make this smooth. You can also do this in a food processor. Just be very careful when you are blending hot liquids. You only want to add enough to fill the blender by about 25% as hot liquid expands and it will come though the top and you can get a pretty serious burn if you try to rush the process!
Once blended, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with a swirl of the yogurt and a topping of any of your favorite fresh herbs. I used basil and it was a perfectly delicious and light, sweet, pea soup.
Soup, English Pea Soup with Lemon and Herb Yogurt Swirl
Notes
This soup is delicious served warm or chilled
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 cups fresh English Peas or 3 cups frozen baby peas
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil for garnish
For the Yogurt Lemon Swirl
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (non-fat or full fat)
- zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mince 2 shallots and 1-2 cloves of garlic. In a medium pan, saute with 1 tablespoon olive oil, until the shallot is translucent. Add 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock and 3 cup peas. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a bit of ground pepper. Let this cook for about 10 minutes on low. Turn off the heat.
- In a small bowl, add 1 cup Greek yogurt, the zest of one lemon and the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix well. Set aside.
- When the soup has cooled, add in batches to your blender. You can also do this in a food processor. Just be very careful when you are blending hot liquids. You only want to add enough to fill the blender by about 25% as hot liquid expands and it will come though the top and you can get a pretty serious burn if you try to rush.
- Once blended, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with a swirl of the yogurt and a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil (or parsley).
