Sweet Pea Soup From 'Kitchen Confidence'

Updated March 26, 2019

Kelsey Nixon's pea soup in her new cookbook, Kitchen Confidence, is a perfect example of resourceful pantry cooking. If you keep frozen peas in stock (which, really, you should), you'll likely only need to grab a couple of basics—scallions and chicken broth—and you'll have this bright, zippy soup ready to eat in 30 minutes. Sure, you can get fancy with your toppings by adding crème fraîche and a few sprigs of tender pea shoots to the serving bowls. At its heart, though, Nixon's soup celebrates the simple, pure sweetness of baby peas adorned only with a bit of cream and butter.

Why I picked this recipe: Frozen peas have always been one of my favorite pantry ingredients, so it didn't take any convincing for me to make this soup.

What worked: Dead simple and super tasty, this soup was a breeze to make and a joy to eat.

What didn't: No problems here.

Suggested tweaks: Yogurt or sour cream will work as a garnish if you can't find creme fraiche. Garnishing the soup with just the scallion greens is a great solution if you can't find pea shoots. If you want to make the soup dairy-free, you could sauté the scallions in olive oil or coconut oil. Coconut milk would make a lovely substitute for the cream, but you could also leave it out entirely.

Reprinted with permission from Kitchen Confidence: Essential Recipes and Tips That Will Help You Cook Anything by Kelsey Nixon. Copyright 2014. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

Recipe Details

Sweet Pea Soup From 'Kitchen Confidence'

Active 20 mins

Total 35 mins

Serves 6 servings

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Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped (white and green parts kept separate)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen petite peas
1 cup heavy cream
Crème fraîche, for garnish (optional)
Pea shoots, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a large soup pot set over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the scallion whites, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the peas and half of the scallion greens (reserving the rest for garnish). Simmer until the peas are thawed and tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it’s semi-smooth but still has some texture. (Alternatively, puree the soup in batches in a standard blender.)
Return the soup pot to medium-high heat. Add the heavy cream and stir well. Cook until the soup is warmed through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with crème fraîche and pea shoots, if desired.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
296	Calories
23g	Fat
16g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	296
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g	30%
Saturated Fat 14g	71%
Cholesterol 65mg	22%
Sodium 327mg	14%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 11mg	53%
Calcium 68mg	5%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 313mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.