Polka Dot Pea Soup Recipes

SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• If using bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cool, crumble and set aside for garnish. If using ham hock: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then brown the ham hock until golden, about 6 minutes. If making the soup vegetarian: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
• Add the onion, leeks and garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. (If the vegetables seem dry, add a little olive oil.) Stir in the carrots, paprika (if using), half the split peas, thyme and 8 cups stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until peas are tender.
• Mash the soup coarsely with a potato masher or give it a few quick blitzes with an immersion blender (watch out for the thyme sprigs). If you'd prefer a smoother soup, blitz until nearly smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 pound split peas and simmer about 1 hour, or until the peas are soft. If at any point the soup looks too thick, add more stock or water; if it looks too thin, remove the lid during the second simmer until it thickens. If using ham hocks, remove any meat from the bone, cut it into small cubes and stir into the soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crumbled bacon, if using, and lemon wedges.

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.

POLKA-DOT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken stock, and bring mixture to a boil.
• Add peas, and reduce heat, simmer until peas are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Puree using an immersion blender, or transfer mixture to the jar of a blender, working in batches if necessary so as not to fill jar more than halfway, as hot liquid will expand when blended, and process until smooth.
• eason with salt and pepper.
• Pour soup into serving bowls.
• To make polka-dots, fill pastry bag with sour cream.
• Pipe dots onto surface of soup, and serve.

SWEET PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add mint, reserving a few sprigs for garnish, and let steep for about 2 hours, until the liquid is very flavorful and slightly green. Strain liquid, discarding mint, and transfer to two ice trays, or an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Place in the freezer, and freeze until solid.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and let simmer 1 hour. The liquid will be reduced by about half. Add peas, and cook about 4 minutes, until peas are just tender. Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl set in ice water. Stir until cold.
• Transfer soup to the jar of a blender; process until smooth. Adjust consistency with more stock. Chill until ready to serve.
• Remove frozen mint ice cubes from the freezer, and place them in the jar of a blender (if using an 8-by-8-inch baking pan, cut ice into chunks). Process the mint ice cubes until they are crushed.
• Place soup in bowls topped with a spoonful of crushed mint ice; garnish with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.

GRANDMA'S PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Cover peas with water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place in a Dutch oven. , Add ham bone, water and remaining soup ingredients except sausage and dumplings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours. , Remove ham bone and skim fat. Remove meat from bone; dice. Add ham and, if desired, sausage to pan. , For dumplings, place flour in a small bowl. Make a depression in the center of the flour; add egg and water and stir until smooth. , Place a colander with 3/16-in.-diameter holes over simmering soup; transfer dough to the colander and press through with a wooden spoon. Cook, uncovered, 10-15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Freeze Option: Prepare soup without dumplings and freeze in serving-size portions to enjoy for months to come.

HOT DOG SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, potatoes, parsnips and onion in butter for 5 minutes. Stir in flour until blended. Add the hot dogs, milk, soup, water, basil and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

POLKA DOT SOUP

Steps:

• Chop chicken into cubes, chop carrots, celery and onion.
• Put all ingredients into a large pot.
• Bring to a boil. Cover pot and cook for 30 minutes.
• Carefully spoon into soup bowls.