Pea Soup

From EatingWell: EatingWell on a Budget (2010), March/April 2011

A simple pea soup makes an elegant start to a spring meal. It’s also a great way to use frozen vegetables when the produce section is looking bleak.

Makes: 8 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
6 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup water
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, “no-chicken” broth (see Note) or vegetable broth
1/2 cup half-and-half (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
Stir in peas. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 1 minute.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “no-chicken” broth, it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 131 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 7 g protein; 6 g fiber; 431 mg sodium; 419 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (28% daily value), Folate & Vitamin A (18% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

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