It is undeniable that peas are among the most loved legumes by both children and adults. Delicate, fresh and tasty, these spring fruits can be used in many recipes and perfectly accompany first courses, main courses and appetizers. With peas it is possible to make truly exceptional velvety and creamy soupslike this one we offer you today: a very simple and really light cream of peas, prepared with fresh peas (but they are also very good frozen or in a jar), yellow-fleshed potatoes, white onion, vegetable broth, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Topped with Parmesan or croutons, the pea cream it is a very quick, healthy and tasty proposal for a warm and comfortable dinner.

Preparation

1

Peel the potatoes and pass them under running water to remove impurities. Cut them into cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion.

2

Pour two tablespoons of oil into a saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. When the onion is golden brown, you can add the potatoes, stirring immediately and browning them for another 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

3

Finally, add the peas and pour in the vegetable stock until all the ingredients are covered. You will need about 600 ml, but the final consistency will depend a lot on your tastes. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, checking the cooking of the potatoes before turning off the heat.

4

Once all the ingredients are cooked, turn off the flame and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, with an immersion blender, blend until you get a smooth cream. Season with 2 pinches of fine salt and a sprinkling of black pepper.

5

Serve and enriched with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Lightly toast some bread, in a pan or in the oven, and serve it with the cream.

Advice and tips

For a better taste we always advise you to choose peas”very fine” or “little ones”. In fact, the smaller the legume, the tastier and healthier it is.

If it seems to you that the broth has shrunk too much during cooking and you prefer a more liquid consistency, you can add a little and continue cooking for the indicated time.

We have proposed a basic version of the cream of peas, vegan and gluten-free. However, you can add some ingredients: parmesan and thus obtain a vegetarian cream of peasor add some cubes of crispy pancetta or bacon.

You can add aromatic herbs: we advise you to use mintwhich greatly enhances the flavor of the peas.

Do you want to obtain an even silkier cream of peas? add 50 ml of fresh cooking creamor vegetable cream.

What is the difference between velvety and cream?

The soup is a dish that is obtained with a roux, or a basic preparation with melted butter and flour, blended to create a rather thick mixture which is then softened with a fatty element, such as chicken broth, cooking cream or egg yolk. The roux gives texture to the velouté, which is full-bodied and consistent.

Cream, on the other hand, is a dish that it is obtained by blending a vegetable or a legume together with the broth and potatoes, which thicken the mixture.

storage

The cream of peas can be kept in the refrigerator, covered or in a closed container, for 2 days maximum. You can easily freeze it, pouring it into a container, for 1 month.