Tasty Tuesday: Spring Pea Soup

Discover the newest cookbook on Clever Girl's shelves: Very Fond of Food, by Sophie Dahl.  We love the format that takes you through a whole year of eating seasonally, and keeping things simple.  Great photos also encourage one to try something new... 

Take Pea Soup--this is a perfect brunch or light lunch dish, that celebrates all of the fresh bounty of Spring.  Give it a try and see what you think!

Pea, Pesto and Arugula Soup

Gather the Goods...this serves 4, and you will need:

• A large handful of fresh basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• A few tablespoons of pine nuts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup/25 g grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 31/2 Cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 package (1 pound) frozen peas

A large handful of arugula  Place all of the pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor and whiz up until you have a green, bubbly sauce, adding a splash of water if the pesto is a little thick. Taste, season, and adjust anything that needs adjusting.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and soften the onion. Add the zucchini, then pour in the stock and simmer on low for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas and arugula, bring back to a boil, and cook for another 3 or 4minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Let the soup cool for 15 minutes or so and then, in careful batches, mix in a blender until you have a velvety purée. Reheat in the saucepan or serve cold, as it works either way. You can either run 4 tablespoons of pesto through the soup when you’re serving or reheating, if you are. Or, if serving cold, add it to the blender when you are puréeing the batches.

{P.S. Don't forget, the Western Springs Farmers Market starts Thursday, May 3rd.}