Food & Drink

Spring Pea Soup with Roasted Pancetta and Mint

From Sarah Leah Chase: I call the soup spring pea to distinguish it from split pea soup, but don’t just relegate the recipe to rainy April nights because it hits the spot year-round and can for the most part be easily made any time. Feel free to substitute fresh parsley or basil leaves if mint hasn’t taken over your herb garden as it has mine.

Spring Pea Soup with Roasted Pancetta and Mint

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PANCETTA AND MINT TOPPING

2 cups coarsely diced or torn day-old chapati, French, Portuguese, or sourdough bread
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped (you can substitute thinly sliced bacon but pancetta is preferable)
24 to 30 whole fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive, plus olive oil for serving

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PEA SOUP

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
2 fat leeks, mostly white parts with just a bit of green, well rinsed, trimmed, and minced, or 1 medium-size onion, peeled and minced
1½ tablespoons slivered fresh mint leaves
1 package (16 ounces) frozen green peas, preferably petits pois
4 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade or low sodium and/or organic store-bought
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
Sour cream, crème fraîche, or thick Greek-style yogurt, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Make the pancetta and mint topping: Place the bread, pancetta, and mint leaves in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold everything in a single layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the top, tossing to coat everything evenly. Bake the topping, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisped; 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the over; set it aside.
Make the peak soup: Heat the butter or olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leaks and cook, stirring frequently, until quite soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the slivered mint and cook until it just begins to wilt, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen peas and chicken stock or broth and let come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, and let simmer until the peas are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the cream and let simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pit until very smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as needed. (You can also puree the soup in batches in a blender, but using an immersion blender is much easier).
Ladle the hot soup into soup bowls and scatter a generous handful of pancetta and mint topping over each serving. Spoon a generous dollop of sour cream, crème fraîche, or Greek yogurt into the center of each serving and then drizzle a swirl of extra-virgin olive oil on top. Serve at once.

New England Open-House Cookbook
by Sarah Leah Chase

From a born-and-bred New Englander comes a book that sings with all the flavors and textures of the beloved region. Sarah Leah Chase is a caterer, cooking teacher, and prolific writer. In New England Open-House Cookbook, Sarah draws from her memories of growing up in Connecticut and Maine; her experience living and cooking on Cape Cod; and her extensive travels meeting farmers, fishermen, and chefs. The result is a wide-ranging cookbook for everyone who has skied the mountains of Vermont, sailed off the coast of Maine, dug for clams on Cape Cod, or just wishes they had.

GET THE BOOK: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Powell’s | Workman