Pea Soup Hearty Classic (Printer-Friendly)
Vibrant green pea soup with sautéed aromatics, thyme and parsley; silky purée, serve with crusty bread or croutons.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 3 cups frozen or fresh green peas
→ Liquids
07 - 4 cups vegetable broth
→ Seasonings
08 - 1 tsp dried thyme
09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Optional Toppings
11 - Crème fraîche or plain yogurt, for topping
12 - Croutons or crusty bread, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic, diced carrots, and diced celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Add the peas, vegetable broth, and dried thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
04 - Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a standard blender and blend until silky.
05 - Return the puréed soup to the pot if using a standard blender. Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat through if needed.
06 - Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with a swirl of crème fraîche and extra parsley if desired. Serve alongside croutons or crusty bread.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This soup costs almost nothing to make and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges eighteen dollars a bowl.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and forget about it until a Tuesday when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- If you blend hot soup in a standard blender without leaving the lid slightly open, the steam will build pressure and blow the lid off in a spectacular and dangerous way.
- Straining the soup after blending transforms it from rustic into something genuinely silky and elegant.
03 -
- Fresh mint stirred in with the parsley at the end is a quiet revelation that makes people ask what your secret is.
- Use the best vegetable broth you can find or make your own, because the ingredients are so few that every single one matters.