top with a spoonful of crème fraîche if the soup is hot, or whipped cream if it's cold. If you'd like, sprinkle the cream with chives.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
SERVING
Whether the soup is hot or cold, I often serve it in smaller-than-usual portions because I think it adds to the soup's sophistication. I use small bowls, the kind normally used for rice, for the cold soup and demitasse cups for the hot. Of course, if you use smaller bowls, you'll get more than 6 servings.
STORING
The soup can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator overnight. If you're serving the soup hot, reheat it gently in an uncovered pot; if you're serving it cold, make sure to shake the sealed container or stir the soup well.
Cheating-on-Winter Pea Soup
P EAS, ALONG WITH ASPARAGUS, ANNOUNCE SPRING with more veracity than the first robin redbreast. As soon as the pods appear, pea soups, pea purees, and peas with onions show up on restaurant menus all across France. But I have a sneaking suspicion that, with the exception of the Michelin-starred places with phalanxes of
commis
to de-pod and even sometimes peel the peas, most places do what French home cooks do year-round: they buy ready-to-cook frozen peas. Peas are one of those vegetables that freeze really well (in fact, many cooks believe that only just-picked peas deliver better taste), and having a sack of them on hand gives you the chance to quickly add color, texture, and another flavor to many dishes (see [>] ) and to make this cheery soup in the dead of winter.
The soup, made in about 15 minutes, is the liquid version of a classic French dish, peas with lettuce and onions. It's a gorgeous spring green color and looks a bit dressy served in small bowls or cups with a dollop of cream in the center. The bonus: when the weather warms up, the soup is just as flavorful chilled, and even more beautiful poured into clear glasses.
1
tablespoon unsalted butter
1
medium onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6
cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
1
pound frozen peas
1
medium head romaine lettuce, trimmed and sliced
Crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream, for serving (optional)
Crumbled bacon, for serving (optional)
Melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven or soup pot. Toss in the onion and cook, stirring, just until it softens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, pour in the broth or water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the peas (it's okay if they're still frozen) and lettuce. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to gently bubble away, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender until it's as smooth as you can get it; a blender will give you the smoothest soup, but even a blender can't perfectly puree pea skins. If you want a smoother soup, push it through a strainer.
Taste the soup for salt and pepper, and, if it needs to be hotter, return it to the pot and warm it over very low heat. Or chill it to serve cold. If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of cream and/or a sprinkling of bacon.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
SERVING
The soup can be served either hot or chilled. No matter the temperature, it's nice with a dollop of cream. You can use crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream, and you can either put a spoonful in the center of each bowl or swirl it into the soup before you ladle it out. For a little something extra, scatter some crumbled bacon over the cream or on top of the soup.
STORING
The soup can be kept covered in the refrigerator (where it's possible that oxidation will darken its color a little) for up to 2 days. Reheat it, or serve it cold.
Corn Soup
A FTER THE VEGETABLE VENDOR AT the boulevard Raspail market kept everyone in line waiting for ten minutes while she told a customer how to roast corn (see [>] ), I had corn on my brain. But when I finally bought some, instead of roasting it, I made this soup, which I think of as
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
SERVING
Whether the soup is hot or cold, I often serve it in smaller-than-usual portions because I think it adds to the soup's sophistication. I use small bowls, the kind normally used for rice, for the cold soup and demitasse cups for the hot. Of course, if you use smaller bowls, you'll get more than 6 servings.
STORING
The soup can be kept tightly covered in the refrigerator overnight. If you're serving the soup hot, reheat it gently in an uncovered pot; if you're serving it cold, make sure to shake the sealed container or stir the soup well.
Cheating-on-Winter Pea Soup
P EAS, ALONG WITH ASPARAGUS, ANNOUNCE SPRING with more veracity than the first robin redbreast. As soon as the pods appear, pea soups, pea purees, and peas with onions show up on restaurant menus all across France. But I have a sneaking suspicion that, with the exception of the Michelin-starred places with phalanxes of
commis
to de-pod and even sometimes peel the peas, most places do what French home cooks do year-round: they buy ready-to-cook frozen peas. Peas are one of those vegetables that freeze really well (in fact, many cooks believe that only just-picked peas deliver better taste), and having a sack of them on hand gives you the chance to quickly add color, texture, and another flavor to many dishes (see [>] ) and to make this cheery soup in the dead of winter.
The soup, made in about 15 minutes, is the liquid version of a classic French dish, peas with lettuce and onions. It's a gorgeous spring green color and looks a bit dressy served in small bowls or cups with a dollop of cream in the center. The bonus: when the weather warms up, the soup is just as flavorful chilled, and even more beautiful poured into clear glasses.
1
tablespoon unsalted butter
1
medium onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6
cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
1
pound frozen peas
1
medium head romaine lettuce, trimmed and sliced
Crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream, for serving (optional)
Crumbled bacon, for serving (optional)
Melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven or soup pot. Toss in the onion and cook, stirring, just until it softens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, pour in the broth or water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the peas (it's okay if they're still frozen) and lettuce. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to gently bubble away, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender until it's as smooth as you can get it; a blender will give you the smoothest soup, but even a blender can't perfectly puree pea skins. If you want a smoother soup, push it through a strainer.
Taste the soup for salt and pepper, and, if it needs to be hotter, return it to the pot and warm it over very low heat. Or chill it to serve cold. If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of cream and/or a sprinkling of bacon.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
SERVING
The soup can be served either hot or chilled. No matter the temperature, it's nice with a dollop of cream. You can use crème fraîche, sour cream, or heavy cream, and you can either put a spoonful in the center of each bowl or swirl it into the soup before you ladle it out. For a little something extra, scatter some crumbled bacon over the cream or on top of the soup.
STORING
The soup can be kept covered in the refrigerator (where it's possible that oxidation will darken its color a little) for up to 2 days. Reheat it, or serve it cold.
Corn Soup
A FTER THE VEGETABLE VENDOR AT the boulevard Raspail market kept everyone in line waiting for ten minutes while she told a customer how to roast corn (see [>] ), I had corn on my brain. But when I finally bought some, instead of roasting it, I made this soup, which I think of as
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