Pea Parmesan Soup
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 20-30 min |
| Cook time | 50 min |
| Source | The Daily Soup Cookbook (pg 140) |
| Yield / serves | 10 cups |
| Rating | Very good |
Ingredients
- 8 c shelled fresh green peas, or frozen green peas
- 1 t sugar
- 2 t kosher salt
- 6 T unsalted butter
- 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
- 2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 t dried thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 c Basic Vegetable Stock
- 1 3-inch piece of Parmesan cheese rind
- 2 c milk
- 5 T all-purpose flour
- 1/4 t ground white pepper
- 1/4 t ground nutmeg
- 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 t minced fresh garlic
Preparation
Blanch the peas in rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes. Puree 6 cups of the peas with the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the salt until smooth. Set the puree and remaining whole peas aside until ready to use.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large stockpot over medium head. Add the onion, leeks, and carrots to the pan and sweat for 4 minutes, until tender.
Add the thyme and bay leaves and stir to coat the vegetables.
Add the stock and Parmesan rind and bring to the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the bechamel, scald the milk by heating it ina small saucepan just until bubbles appear around the edges.
In a separate pan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and cook until a thick, pale roux forms, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
Gradually add the scalded milk, stirring constantly. Simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces by half.
Stir in the remaining teaspoon of salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and set aside until ready to use.
Stir the whole and pureed peas, bechamel, grated Parmesan, and garlic into the pot; simmer for 1 minute.
To serve, remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind and ladle the soup into bowls.
