Spring Green Soup

These chilly spring days still demand soup! Chock full of fresh spring peas and asparagus, thickened with split peas and potatoes... this soup has amazing flavor and such perfect for a satisfying spring dinner or lunch. Gluten free too!

Spring Green Soup

Yield: 10 – 12 bowls

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup dried split green peas
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 medium leek (white and green sections), chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh pea pods (~ 1 pound)
3/4-pound fresh asparagus, trimmed & chopped
2 cups frozen green peas, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably nonfat
6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Garnish: Greek yogurt, fresh chopped thyme or green onions, green peas, asparagus spears

Equipment:

Cutting board
Chef knife
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Vegetable peeler
5 – 6 quart soup kettle with lid
Rubber spatula
Hand immersion blender/ Blender
Soup ladle

Spring Green Soup screams fresh! Spring weather is always up and down, so soup is a great meal. Peas, asparagus with aromatic veggies and natural thickeners... So yummy. Smooth and flavorful... one of my favorites. This time of year, asparagus and spring peas are plentiful. My husband and I are often found driving the country roads looking for asparagus along the fence lines. Can’t get any fresher than that! I love soup ... any time of year. Grab your veggies and let’s make a pot ‘o soup!

Every soup starts with aromatic veggies... at least mine do! Chop the onions and celery, mince the garlic. Place a 5 – 6 quart soup kettle over medium high heat with olive oil and butter, for about 2 – 3 minutes. Add onions, celery and garlic and sauté until translucent, ~ 3 – 4 minutes.

While the veggies are sautéing, peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Add them into the soup kettle with broth. If desiring a vegan soup, use vegetable broth or vegetable soup base and water. I prefer the flavor of chicken broth, but both work well. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

As the soup is simmering, finish the remaining vegetable prep. Cut off the root portion of the leek and chop from green to white. Doesn’t matter perfection of the chopping, as they will be pureed later. Now for the asparagus! Asparagus stems are often a bit fibrous, so instead of cutting off and wasting the bottom 3 inches of the stalk, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough stuff. Chop only about 1 inch off instead! Then cut into 1-inch segments and set aside. Next, rinse the pea pods and cut the pods into thirds. Last, if using fresh thyme, carefully remove leaves from the stems and finely chop.

Almost finished! Place chopped asparagus into kettle, reserving ~ 1/2 cup. Add cut pea pods. Add frozen peas, removing 1/2 cup for later. Sprinkle seasonings into the soup kettle. Stir well, cover and simmer for 7 – 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

To finish the soup, use a hand immersion blender to puree all the vegetables into the broth. If you don’t have a hand blender, use a regular blender to blend soup. Be careful as the soup will be very hot and steam expands as blended. For safety, fill blender only half full with hot soup. Return pureed soup to pot. Add reserved asparagus and frozen peas. Greek yogurt and lemon juice are added last and stirred in well.

Your soup is ready!! Doesn’t it smell amazing? Looks scrumptious too! Ladle soup into bowls and garnish. Swirl a teaspoon of Greek yogurt on top and lay a stem of thyme or sprinkle on a few leaves. If desired, add a couple green peas and/or asparagus spears. Serve with open-faced cheese and asparagus sandwiches... Enjoy!!