Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
- 1 1/2 cups sliced leek, white and pale green parts only
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 2 1/4 cups chicken stock mixed with 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 1/2 cups shelled English peas (about 4 1/2 pounds unshelled)
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid (1 tablet vitamin C crushed)
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Creme fraiche, basil oil, finely sliced fresh chives, or prosciutto bits, optional
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for about 1 minute, then add the sliced white and pale green parts of the leek and celery. Stir often while cooking until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Do not let them color. Then pour the diluted stock into the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Add the cream to the vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the peas and return to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and simmer for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat. Transfer in batches to a blender with the ascorbic acid and puree, adding more of the stock-water mixture as needed to thin the soup to a pleasing consistency. Pour soup into a bowl set in an ice bath and stir until cooled. (we want to cool it down as quickly as possible) Serve soup with optional garnishes.
Chef's Tip: Ascorbic acid helps keep the green color in pureed herbs and vegetables. If you have vitamin C tablets on hand, just crush one with a rolling pin and add it to the mixture in the blender. Note that you'll need a blender to puree the soup. A food processor doesn't make it smooth enough.
Photo: Spring Pea Soup Recipe

















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By jennylove72203
flemington, NJ
on October 19, 2012
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We were introduced to this soup at Chiarello's "Bottega" restaurant in Napa, fell in love with it - and everything else we ate there! even converted a pea-hater! - and all of us kept saying we'd have to figure out how to make it ... Thank you Michael for posting your recipes!!! Followed the recipe, and it tasted as great as we remembered. I like it best when blended as smooth as possible. Tasty whether served hot, warm, or cool; it also froze & re-heated well. Have made it several times & will continue to.
By pokano_2166348
seattle, WA
on June 22, 2010
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We used the immersion blender to puree and didn't put it through a sieve. We didn't have ascorbic acid. This was a delicious soup. Well worth making again. Highly recommended with a LARGE dollop of creme fraiche to stir into the soup.
By karenmtucker_11...
Mill Valley, CA
on June 18, 2009
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Fresh peas are in abundance now at the local Farmers Market. The soup is so easy to make, and it tastes like heaven. I used homemade vegetable broth (not diluted and served it warm. I'm definitely making this again--it's a big hit with my family.
Read all 8 reviews