Spring Pea Soup

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
• 1 1/2 cups leeks, sliced, and pale green parts only
• 3/4 cup celery, diced
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 1/2 cups peas, shelled english
• 3 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped fresh italian flat-leaf
• 1 teaspoon thyme, minced fresh leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid (1 tablet vitamin c crushed)
• sea salt, preferably gray salt
• pepper
• creme fraiche or basil oil or finely sliced fresh chives or prosciutto, bits

Recipe

• 1 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 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.
• 2 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.
• 3 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.