What do peas, beans, and lentils have in common? They’re all legumes – a group of seed pods that are normally low in fat, and high in folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
In Chattanooga, farm-fresh peas are available at local markets as early as March.
Pea & Asparagus Soup
6
servingsFresh flavors and hot or cold versatility make this a perfect soup for spring.
Ingredients
- 2 cups
green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
- 1
large onion, diced
- 2
celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 4
garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 lb.
bunch of asparagus, trimmed; 2 stalks reserved whole for garnish, the remainder sliced
- 1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon
lemon juice
- ¼ cup
heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons
finely chopped fresh dill
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften (about 6 to 7 minutes).
Stir in 5 cups water, sliced asparagus, and peas. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until asparagus is very tender (about 15 minutes).
Working in small batches, purée soup in a blender. Strain the soup through a sieve, pressing down on any solids with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Pour it back into the pot. Place over medium heat until just simmering. Stir in salt and lemon juice.
Run a vegetable peeler over the reserved asparagus stalks, making asparagus ribbons.
Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle the top of each with cream. Top with a few asparagus ribbons and dill.
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
- Calories—130 | Total Fat—6g | Saturated Fat—3.5g | Sodium—460mg | Carbohydrate—16g | Dietary Fiber—5g | Sugar—6g | Protein—5g
Facts about Peas
Freeze Fast!
Garden peas don’t stay fresh long after harvest! For best results, freeze them within two and a half hours of picking to lock in all the nutrients.
Did you know?
It might be hard to imagine life without sugar snap peas, but did you kow they’ve only been around for about 35 years? A hybrid of green peas and snow peas, they were first developed by U.S. plat breeders in 1979.
