French Pea Soup Recipes

WINTERTIME FRENCH STYLE SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven; cook and stir onion and garlic in the hot oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir herbes de Provence, turmeric, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper into the vegetables; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Mix dried split peas, half the carrots, half the potatoes, vegetable stock, and water into vegetables and seasonings, bring to a bowl, and reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer until peas are nearly tender, about 35 minutes. Stir remaining half of carrots and potatoes and the ham into soup, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 25 more minutes.

FRENCH-CANADIAN PEA SOUP (SOUPE AUX POIS)

Steps:

• Wash and sort peas; place in a large pot, bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour.
• Add salt pork, onion, celery, carrots, savory and 1 tsp salt.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until peas are very tender, about 2 hours, adding more water if needed.
• Remove salt pork; chop and return to soup.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

FRENCH CANADIAN PEA SOUP

Steps:

• This soup is excellent reheated. For a truly authentic version of Quebec's "soupe aux pois" use whole yellow peas, salt pork, and herbs. Outside fo Quebec, it tends to be difficult to find whole yellow peas so we typically have to settle for yellow split-peas. Alternatively to dried or fresh herbs, "herbes salees" (herbs preserved with salt) are frequently used; either home-made or purchased commercially. Pea soup prevails as a popular dish in restaurants where tourists can enjoy a true and authentic taste of old Quebec. If using whole dried yellow peas. Wash and sort the peas and soak in cold water overnight. Simply rinse before using, when using split-peas. Add the drained peas to a large pot; add the salt pork, onion, celery, carrots, parsley, bay leaf, savoury, water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil then reduce heat down to a simmer. Simmer over low heat, occasionally stirring, until the peas are very soft, about 2 hours. Add more water if needed. Remove the salt pork (if using); chop and return to soup. Discard bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. How to serve pea soup Following cooking, the pork is commonly diced and returned to the soup. Sometimes the pork or ham is removed, thinly sliced and served on the side or as a topping. Newfoundland Pea Soup Newfoundland Pea Soup is quite similar but typically includes more vegetables such as diced carrots and turnips, and the soup is often served topped with small dumplings. Split-pea soup with ham bone Use a ham bone or ham hock instead of the salt pork. Thick pea soup For a thicker consistency (although this is not traditional) a cup or two of cooked peas may be puréed then returned to the soup. Variations In some regional variations, garlic, leeks, different vegetables or a ham bone are added for flavor.

FRESH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Off the heat, add the mint, salt, and pepper.
• *Puree the soup in batches: place 1 cup of soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and puree on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with garlic croutons.

FRENCH CANADIAN PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas.
• In heavy pot mix peas, ham bone, onion, salt, pepper and onion with 8 cups of water.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 ½ hours stirring often.
• Remove ham bone from heat and chop meat.
• Return meat to pot, add vegetables and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add cooked crumbled bacon, cream and butter.
• Heat through and serve.

FRESH PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the water and peas, season to taste with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender, 12 to 18 minutes.
• Puree the peas in a blender or food processor in batches. Strain back into the saucepan, stir in the cream if using, and reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.