Last week, I posted about Brussels sprouts, the little green vegetables trying to shed their bad reputation. Today, I’ll spotlight another miniature green friend, who often gets tossed under the rug (or fed to the dog.) Please, allow me to re-introduce you to the humble sweet green pea. Often cooked until mushy, overdone, brown, or, to the horror of many, straight out of the can (yuck!) peas were never a favourite of mine. Little did I realize that in another state, these little veggies could pack a flavourful punch. Some may even consider them gourmet (pea froth garnish, anyone?).
It wasn’t until I attended a wedding this summer that I realized that green peas make a wonderful soup. Born and raised in Quebec, “pea soup,” to me has always meant that of the yellow variety, with little chunks of ham and maple syrup. Not that I don’t love that one – I do! It’s part of our culture, a taste of our heritage. I just wasn’t aware that there was another pea, hiding from the spotlight, that could create a wonderfully aromatic, complex, naturally creamy soup, almost entirely on it’s own!
And oh, that colour though!
Creamy Pea Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
soup ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tsp oil or butter
- 2 cups frozen green peas
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup water
- salt & pepper to taste
chickpea ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
Roasted chickpeas
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Toss chickpeas with oil and spices.
- Lay on parchment lined baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until crisp.
Soup
- Heat oil (or butter) in medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic, cooking until translucent.
- Add water, parsley and peas. Turn up heat to high, bring to a boil.
- Transfer mixture to blender & blend until completely smooth.
- Serve hot, garnished with chickpeas.
