Sweet Pea Soup with Olive Oil Drizzle

This Sweet Pea Soup is perfect for a cold winter day and is an excellent transition into spring with its beautiful bright green color and fresh flavors.

This soup benefits from a good homemade broth—though I generally feel that way about all soups where broth plays an important role.

I added heavy cream to my soup because I was craving something rich and creamy, and since we were just having soup for a late-night dinner I felt it was justified! In fact, I felt that it was necessary… and after a long day, well deserved.

However, if you are avoiding dairy or looking for a lighter alternative, skip the cream and the Parmesan and it becomes a tasty recipe that won’t blow your diet… but will offer you a warm and satisfying bowl of nature’s bounty!

Personally, I could not resist the added calories!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus more for garnish)
• 2 large chopped shallots (½ to ⅔ cup)
• 36 oz. frozen Sweet Peas
• 3 large cloves minced garlic (1 to 1 ½ tablespoons)
• 5 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• White pepper to taste
• 1 ½ to 2 cups heavy whipping cream (optional)
• Parmesan to taste (optional)

My Olive Tree’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Northern Israel is light and full of delicate flavor; our Northern Israel oil is perfect for salad dressings, marinades, or as a hummus topping! It mixes well with the spices of your choice leaving you with a smooth and well-balanced flavor.
“I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.” —Amos 9:14

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and very lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute being careful not to burn the garlic. Burned garlic is bitter! Add the chicken stock, frozen peas, salt, and black pepper and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer lightly for 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender until well blended but still slightly coarse in texture. *

Taste and season with salt, pepper, and white pepper (the saltiness of the broth makes a big difference here, so taste before you add). Go easy on the white pepper to start. I love the depth of flavor it adds, but it can easily change the flavor of whatever it is you are seasoning.

If you are adding cream, turn off the heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream.

Serve while warm.

Garnish with a small drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil (perhaps from My Olive Tree!) and freshly grated Parmesan and/or croutons.

Bon appetite!

*If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender pureeing one cup of a soup of a time (you need to allow plenty of room for the hot soup to expand). Pour the soup back into the pot and season to taste.

If you are looking for a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, make sure and check out My Olive Tree’s online store. The quality of your EVOO makes ALL the difference!