I really love peas. It’s just a simple and fresh vegetable that you can use all year round, whether it be in a salad, soup, pasta, whatever. I always use frozen peas because the canned kind is too salty, mushy, and dull for my taste. Frozen peas are still vibrantly green and tasty. This soup is perfect for a crisp day…it’s definitely my go to soup.
1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cup celery (diced)
½ cup carrots (diced)
1 medium onion (diced – around 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves (minced – 2 teaspoons)
1/14 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3 cups vegetable stock
4.5-5 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. Allow the oil to warm (around 1 minute).
Add the diced vegetables, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Let everything sweat together, stirring occasionally – around 10 minutes.
Add the parsley and stir. Cook for 3 minutes more.
Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Raise the temperature to medium-high and add the frozen peas. Allow them to warm through, roughly 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is a creamy consistency. (If you do not have an immersion blender, you can also puree the soup by carefully transferring it to a food processor or blender. When I use my food processor or blender to do this, I use a slotted spoon to scoop out the veggies and put them in the blending container. I don’t like to use all the liquid because I don’t want it splashing around and possibly burning me. Just puree until smooth, and then add back to the liquid. Stir to combine. At this time you can simmer it longer…the longer you simmer soup, the more flavor it will develop)
Add the tablespoon of butter and stir until melted.
Serve with a crouton/piece of bread and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.
Enjoy!
