SPRING PEA SOUP with creme fraiche

Spring is here at long last, and with it has brought the beloved spring pea back to my table. I LOVE fresh spring peas as you may remember in last year’s tortellini with spring peas recipe. This time around I had some leftover spiral ham from our Eastover celebration. Eastover is where all the best foods of Easter and Passover share a table in delicious bliss with our various denominations of friends. As unconventional as it may seem to have a giant ham next to your matzo ball soup, I assure you it is an unparalleled festivity of flavors!

Anyway, for this recipe I used my leftover spiral ham, wiping off the brown sugar and cinnamon glaze before making the stock. Of course ham hocks work beautifully as well, but after tasting the faint hint of cinnamon from the glaze in the soup I think I’ll add a pinch of cinnamon next time I use ham hocks. It was pretty awesome!

This soup is delightful warm or cold and is absolutely delicious without any dairy, making the crème fraîche a tasty option but not necessary by any means.

Also your house will smell amazing while the stock simmers. I made the stock a day ahead and refrigerated to make the soup the next day because it takes awhile to cool. If you are a better planner than I am you can absolutely do it all same day.

SPRING PEA SOUP with creme fraiche

 

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A vibrant and flavorful spring pea soup that celebrates the natural sweetness of fresh green peas!

Author: Crystal Cartier

Recipe type: Entrée, Appetizer, Side

Cuisine: Gluten-Free

Ingredients

Ham Broth

• 2 pounds meaty smoked ham hocks (or the leftover spiral ham in my case)
• ½ sweet onion, halved
• 3 small celery stalks, roughly chopped
• pinch of cassia cinnamon, optional (if using hocks)
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled halved horizontally
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 8 whole peppercorns
• 8 cups water

Spring Pea Soup

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ½ sweet onion, finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus some torn leaves for garnish
• Two 16-ounce packages of baby peas, fresh or frozen
• Extra virgin olive oil
• dollops of crème fraîche, to taste

Instructions

Ham Broth

1. Throw ham, veggies, peppercorns, bay leaf and water in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for 3+ hours until the meat is so tender it nearly falls from the bone. Allow it all to cool in the juices until the ham can be handled. Remove the ham and tear meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones, fat etc.
2. Strain stock through a sieve and discard solids. The meat and stock will keep in the fridge for a couple days or up to a month in the freezer. For me, this made exactly enough stock for the soup.

Spring Pea Soup

1. Melt butter in the stockpot until frothy, then saute onion with salt and pepper until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add wine and bring to a boil until the alcohol burns off and the liquid is mostly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chopped mint and 4 cups of ham broth and bring back to a boil. Add peas and simmer until peas are tender but not mushy. 5 minutes or so if frozen, less if fresh.
3. Blend soup in batches until smooth. Return to pot and add ham chunks simmering gently for a few minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Season with salt to taste. Be careful as the amount of extra salt needed will depend on how salty the ham is.
4. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, torn mint leaves, and small dollops of crème fraîche.

ENJOY!!!

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