Chilled Spring Pea Soup Recipe

Eating, Done Right.

Spring is in the air, but the air is still cool. Executive Chef Anthony Napolitano shared his favorite Chilled Spring Pea Soup recipe with us – the perfect light and clean tasting dish.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 cups sliced leek, white and pale green parts only
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 2 ¼ cups chicken stock mixed with 2 ¼ cups water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 ½ cups shelled English peas (about 4 ½ 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, finely sliced fresh chives or prosciutto bits – optional

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat.
2. 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.
3. Then, pour the diluted stock into the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
4. Add cream to the vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer.
5. Add peas and return to a simmer.
6. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 7-8 minutes.
7. Add the parsley and thyme and simmer for 2 minutes longer, then remove from the heat.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Enjoy!

Dining at Edgehill is an incomparable culinary experience with taste, choice and variety at its core.