Cream of Fresh Pea Soup

I have one more green soup to share. This bright green soup screams “springtime” to me but it can be a wonderful summertime soup because it is also delicious served chilled. It is a classic soup in my house- I have made it for years using both fresh or frozen peas.

The fresh herbs provide the bright flavor in the finished soup. I have always incorporated fresh dill but I can imagine that it would also be delicious with basil or a combination of fresh herbs.

This recipe is adapted from Mollie Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Fast, healthy, and delicious.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
• 4 cups peas, fresh (about 20 oz) or frozen
• 1 cup milk (low-fat or soy okay)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 T minced fresh dill, mint, basil, tarragon, parsley, and/or chives

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and salt, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the stock/water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the peas, cover again, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
4. Purée the soup with the milk using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender, then return the purée to the pot.
5. Reheat the soup very gently. Add the minced fresh herbs just prior to serving.

Note: This soup also tastes wonderful served at room temperature or chilled.

Creamy Tagliatelle with Asparagus & Herbs

I love springtime pasta dishes loaded with vegetables. This version was creamy, rich, and absolutely delicious. Chopping the asparagus so that it could be completely incorporated throughout the pasta was genius.

This recipe was adapted from Ruth Rogers of River Café London: Thirty Years of Recipes and the Story of a Much-Loved Restaurant cookbook, via Food 52. I modified the proportions to use one pound of pasta. I also left the asparagus tips intact. Amazing!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 2 1/4 pounds thin asparagus spears
  
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  
• 6 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley, oregano)
  
• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) heavy cream
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 14 to 16 ounces taglierini, tagliatelle, or pappardelle pasta
  
• 5 to 6 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
  

1. Trim or snap off the tough ends from the asparagus spears. Cut into 1-inch pieces; reserve tips in a separate bowl.
2. Finely chop the 1-inch pieces of asparagus all together with 2 of the garlic cloves and the herbs in a food processor. (I chopped the garlic and herbs first and then added the asparagus.)
3. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan with the remaining 4 whole garlic cloves and simmer until the cloves are soft. Remove from the heat; discard the garlic.
4. Heat the olive oil and butter in a separate large pan and sauté half of the chopped asparagus for 5 minutes, stirring. (I used a 14-inch skillet.)
5. Add the rest of the chopped asparagus-herb mixture and the reserved asparagus tips, followed by the flavored cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the cream begins to thicken, about 6 minutes. Season to taste. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
6. Cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling salted water, then drain thoroughly.
7. Add to the sauce along with about half of the Parmesan and toss together.
8. Serve with the remaining Parmesan.

Two Years Ago: Linguine with Asparagus & Egg

Three Years Ago: Rigatoni with Lemon-Chile Pesto & Grated Egg

Four Years Ago: Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus, Peas, & Mushrooms

Five Years Ago: Baked Shells with Cauliflower & Taleggio