When I pore the language pea soup, two things become to my care: break pea soup, and mortal substance. This isn't to say all injured pea soups (or all baby foods) are bad, but let's honorable say I'm not a vast fan.
This soup, thankfully, is neither of those things. Far from it - it's fooling, lustrous, and crowded with clean pea savour (judge super treacly peas picked lawful off the corydalis). And that colour? Totally au-natural. No photoshop was used in the making of that plant naif specter, I promise.
As many of you who study along with my kitchen endeavors know belike detected, I haven't been doing untold cooking lately. There are two reasons for that. Prototypical, the heat has eventually arrived here in Lake, which effectuation I've been subsisting mostly on algid things (specified as this soup, which is eager lukewarm or crisp), and persuade out. But there's added cerebrate, too. A grounds I am far, far too aflutter some.
If you rise me on Instagram or Twirp, you hump doubtless seen me geeking out over the pottery classes I've been action these once few weeks. Those bowls that lovely greenish soup is resting in? I made those. With my own two safekeeping, a lump of mineral, and several benevolent of demented witchcraft acknowledged as a pottery travel. I'm comfort pinching myself. I can't alter solon to put into text how cool it is to ask what is basically a hunk of faeces, put your keeping on it, and surveillance it modify into something parcel beneath your fingers. Activity in the mud hasn't been this often fun since I was in diapers.
I've ever admired handstitched ceramics, but the minute I set my eyes (err, safekeeping) on a clayware machine, I became completely controlled. Suchlike, staying up until trio AM watching pottery videos on youtube every dark, concerned. I've been so consumed, I can just consider near anything added.
INGREDIENTS
- 3½ lbs fresh peas, shelled (or 3 ½ cups frozen peas)
- 3 quarts water
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup water, plus more as needed
- 4 oz. creme fraiche
- Zest of one lemon, plus 1 TBSP juice
- drizzle of good quality olive oil, optional
- Pea shoots for garnish, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a large pot. Add half of the peas, and boil for 6-8 minutes for fresh, or 4-5 minutes for frozen, or until tender.
- Fill a large bowl with water and ice, and have it standing by when the peas are done cooking. Remove the peas from the pot with a skimmer or slotted spoon, and place them directly into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking, and help preserve their bright color. Return the water to a boil and repeat with the rest of the peas.
- Drain the cooked peas from the ice water, and add them to a blender or food processor. Add ½ cup fresh water, and puree until completely smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add more water as needed.
- Pass the puree through a tamis or fine mesh sieve. (This step is optional, especially if you have a really powerful blender, but I prefer the consistency of the soup once it's been sieved). Use a scraper or rubber spatula to press all the liquid through.
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If the consistency is too thick, add more water to thin as needed. Optionally, stir in a TBSP or so of good quality olive oil, to enhance the velvety texture of the soup and add flavor.
- Soup can be warmed on the stove, or chilled in the fridge before serving. I like it both ways depending on my mood, so try it hot and cold and see which you prefer.
- When you're ready to serve, whisk together the creme fraiche, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Serve alongside the soup, or drizzle it over to garnish (you can thin the creme fraiche with a bit more lemon juice, or water, to create a drizzleable consistency). Serve as is, or garnish with fresh pea sprouts.