Very Very Green Green-Pea Soup

By my count, there are two basic and entirely different soups made from peas, a long-simmering split pea soup made from dried peas and this quick 'n' easy bright-green soup made with fresh green peas, especially inexpensive frozen peas that are such a convenience. For anyone who wonders if there's an actual meal in that bag of frozen peas buried in your freezer, I'm here to say, yes, yes and YES! Grab a big soup pot or a Dutch oven, just cook a few pantry ingredients and you won't believe the great soup whose origin and inspiration is really and truly, a simple bag of frozen peas.

Real Food, Fresh & Fast. Made from Scratch. Hearty & Filling. Budget Friendly. Easy Weeknight Supper. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian & Easily Made Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free. Rave Reviews. What're you waiting for?!

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COMPLIMENTS!

• "... it was fantastic! .. I'm keeping this recipe on hand for when I'm pantry-diving before payday!" ~ Anonymous
• "This is fabulous! It's good by itself, but it's wonderful with the egg!" ~ acr

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A Humble Bag of Peas: Supper Saver

A hazard of food writing, whether online or in print, is the constant hunt for new recipes, ones we're really proud of whether spectacularly simple or simply spectacular.

By five o'clock on the first Friday of Lent, the weather was miserable and my spirit not much better. Refrigerator leftovers didn't appeal; being newly committed to counting points (again), I nixed the temptation of a pizza delivery.

Then magic struck.

All the ingredients for this simple soup were already on hand: peas in the freezer, onion in the pantry, spices and oil in the cupboard, eggs in the fridge. Take stock: don't you have all the ingredients too?!

I first shared this recipe in 2004. So a decade later, I wondered, Could a soup this simple taste as good as I remember? It can! It did!

The green color makes it perfect for St. Patrick's Day but it works beautifully as a meatless supper for Lent too.

And if you too are counting Weight Watchers points? That's supper in four points, a cup of soup and a poached egg.

Now that's something to feel proud of.

A Bag of Frozen Peas. A Party Maker.

In 1912, my London-born maternal grandfather emigrated to Canada.

He arrived on St Patrick’s Day and some times I wonder what he'd think of the rowdy revelries that headline festivities nearly a century later. The man loved a party: he’d likely have thought he’d reached the Promised Land!

Grandpa S was a foodie of the first sort, enjoying simple food cooked well and the pleasure of gathering 'round the table with family and friends.

The very very green color makes this soup perfect for an impromptu St. Patrick's Day meal.

To delight kids and grown-ups alike, consider an All-Green St Patrick’s Supper that includes a Very Green Salad, spinach topped with green pepper and broccoli bits and, oh dear, green goddess dressing. Dessert? That would be Mean Green Gelatin, lime jello with green grapes.

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If a simple soup recipe hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

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VERY VERY GREEN GREEN-PEA SOUP

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Makes 6 cups

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cups chicken stock, No-Big-Deal Homemade Chicken Stock or not
• 16 ounces (454g) frozen green peas
• Salt and pepper to taste

MAKE THE SOUP Heat a large, heavy pot on medium high, then melt the butter. Stir in the onion and ginger and sauté until soft, really letting color develop. Stir in the cardamom and let cook for a minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the peas and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are very tender, about 10 minutes.

EASY In batches, purée the mixture in a blender until very smooth, about a minute per batch. (IMPORTANT! For safety with hot liquids, fill blender no more than half full. For more detail, please see How to Safely Purée Hot Liquids!) You can also use an immersion blender but the soup will be decidedly more rustic and fibrous. (Check the texture of the top photo, I used an immersion blender for it.)

EASY & ALMOST ELEGANT For something less rustic, almost but not quite elegant, let the blender run for a good minute or two for a very very smooth soup. Then add a cup of light cream and serve in small portions as a starter. I think a high-powered blender like a Vitamix would work really well here.

ELEGANT If you can remove the peas' fibrous skins, you’ll net only four cups of soup but the smooth creaminess will create a moment of sheer, if silent, appreciation. For this version, I use a metal, cone-shaped specialty strainer called a china cap or chinois that comes with a stand and a wood or metal pestle to push soft foods through tiny-tiny holes, leaving behind anything at all fibrous. Look for one in good kitchen stores, restaurant supply stores and online at Amazon (affiliate link). I inherited my mother's, she used it for tomato juice. A food mill may work too.

EITHER WAY Return the soup to the pan and and bring back to temperature. Season liberally with salt and pepper and serve hot.

The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated. Good news, it freezes well too.

SERVING IDEA My favorite way to serve this soup is with a hot poached egg on top, How to Poach a Perfect Egg. It's easy!

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup (soup only): 66 Calories; 2g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 5mg Cholesterol; 626mg Sodium; 8g Carb; 3g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 2 & blue 1 & purple 1

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Simple But Sumptuous Soups

more
~ soup recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Easy-to-Elegant Asparagus Soup One recipe with either rustic or refined texture.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spring Garden Vegetable Soup with Asparagus, Artichokes, Peas & Spinach So many spring favorites all at once.

• THE RECIPE Quick Cauliflower Soup or Quick Broccoli Soup Healthful veggie soups on the table in minutes.
• ANOTHER TAKE Vichyssoise A simple leek & potato soup.

• THE RECIPE Laura's Healthy Carrot Soup Creamy without a drop of cream.
• ANOTHER TAKE Paleo Carrot Soup Quiet-inducing, spoon-clinking good.

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This Information Has Moved

Be Very Careful with Hot Liquids in a Blender
please see

~ How to Safely Purée Hot Liquids ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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