We’re back in full spring mode, and I’m psyched to be using one of my FAVORITE spring veggies – green peas! Although the weather is slowly turning warmer, we’ve had quite a few cold, rainy days in May. It makes it difficult to enjoy some of the fun, fresh spring produce. Luckily, no one ever said there’s anything wrong with a nice spring soup. And what better way to incorporate a classic spring veggie than to blend it into one of the all-time greatest comfort foods?
This soup starts out with a classic mirepoix blend of carrots, onions, and celery, and then incorporates either fresh or frozen green peas and some savory chunks of ham (a great way to use up any leftover Easter ham you happened to pop in the freezer).
The entire dish is topped with velvety crème fraîche that gives this already amazing soup some added creaminess that’s simply to die for.
⟶ the recipe
green pea & ham soup
ingredients
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
2 small celery stalks, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 package of frozen peas
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup diced honey-baked ham
4 tablespoons crème fraîche
Pinch each of salt and pepper
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
30 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Heat some olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot and set over medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. Stir and sauté veggies until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add wine and bring to a boil. Allow wine to simmer with the veggies until completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring liquid to a boil.
Add the peas and reduce heat until liquid is lightly simmering. Cook peas for about 5 minutes, then remove soup from heat.
Carefully, using an immersion blender, bland the soup until smooth. Return soup to medium-low heat, and add the ham. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Remove soup from heat, and stir in the crème fraîche. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with red pepper flakes and parmesan, if desired. Serve with crusty bread.
⟶ recipe notes
- I went the easy route on this one, but you can also make your own broth using ham hocks (and then use the meat from the hocks to add to the soup later on), mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery), a head of garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper
⟶ modifications
- Lighten this soup by ditching the crème fraîche or replacing it with a dollop of sour cream for added creaminess
- Lose the ham/crème fraîche and make it vegetarian/vegan! It’s still delish, and you can even throw in some white beans for added protein
⟶ make it ahead
- As I mentioned earlier, you can make your own broth ahead of time and either refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze for up to a year. For easy storage, you can pour the broth into a few ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove the cubes and store in a ziploc freezer bag
