a recipe for pea soup!
she's chill
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There are many things to love about a change in the seasons — the rotating of the wardrobe, the holidays to partake in, the crunch of the first fallen leaf! When the sun finally begins setting on winter, those things that we look forward to give a whole new meaning to life! Longer days! S’mores and bonfires! Grilling out!
I am neither a hater or lover of summer — I think it’s just fine. Spring, though, is what I set my sights on when crisp fall days turn into cold, dark, slushy MONTHS that seem to drag on forever. Spring warms us up to the idea of staying out late or sitting under twinkly lights on your parents’ back porch (a favorite pastime of mine)!
Summer isn’t for another month and a half-ish, so there is still plenty of time to defrost (especially if more than half the days of your week are still pretty gray like they are up here in New England. I digress.)
I believe that time spent in the kitchen during these warmish days also warm us up to the idea of eating fresh foods once again. We have almost arrived to the point in the year where we slice open a bright red tomato, drizzle it in olive oil, sprinkle it in salt, and call it dinner. But crispy chicken smothered in a compound butter still sounds sooo appetizing.
The recipe I’m sharing today only asks you to stand in front of the stove just a little bit. It’s a chilled pea soup, but if you, like me, are still cold, it can most definitely be served hot.
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a note on cold food
Did you know that our tastebuds can’t perceive/taste the flavors in food as well when the food is cold? Flavors need to be dialed up (specifically when we’re talking sweets, but I’m going to inform you anyway) when you’re planning on serving something at room temp or fresh from the fridge. Smell has a lot to do with it as well. No steam pooling off the surface of this soup = no aromas hitting your nose before you dig in. The body is so cool (no pun intended)! That being said, if you taste this soup and it isn’t quite hitting the notes, grate an extra clove of garlic into it or season with just a smidge more salt. Here’s a quick rundown if you’re interested.
chilled pea soup
Yield: 36 oz of soup, 4 servings
Ingredients
2 teaspoons bacon fat (or olive oil or melted butter)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large white onion, julienne
1 leek, julienne
1 celery stalk, quarter-inch dice
3 cups peas (frozen or fresh)
1 cup snap peas, cut in thirds crosswise and stems removed
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon dill
Salt & pepper, to taste
Garnish
Lemon zest
Black pepper
Crème fraîche or sour cream
Dill fronds
Method
In a medium-sized pot, bring a 2 quarts of water to a boil. (Prep the rest of the soup while water comes to a boil.)
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat bacon fat and oil over medium heat. Add onion, leek & celery and season with salt & pepper. Cook until translucent, moving vegetables around the pot often so they don’t burn — we aren’t trying to get any color here.
When water is boiling, add snap peas and blanch for about two minutes. Add frozen peas and boil just until they are warmed through and a bit tender. Drain and add both peas to the pot with the vegetables.
Add chicken stock, white wine, garlic & parsley and turn heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 15–20 minutes.
While soup is still hot, add to food processor or blender with heavy cream & dill. Blend on high for five minutes, going longer if needed — you want a smooth soup. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Strain though a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth for smoother finish.
Yum!!!