When I came across this recipe for Peapod Soup in The Forgotten Skills of Cooking, I knew that I simply must try it. We love peas and yet I cringe to throw all of that waste into the compost pile. If we could all fall in love with this soup then problem solved! 

I watched anxiously as each of my children, and especially my husband, sampled their soup and despite my poor straining of the strings, I saw them all get to the bottom of those bowls.  

Since our first harvest yielded three pounds of pods and the recipe only calls for one, my next challenge was to discover whether the soup froze well. The sample I reheated the next day seemed to lose a touch of freshness, but others couldn't discern a difference so when the next harvest day rolled around, I made enough and froze two quarts to enjoy this winter. 

If you happen to find  yourself with a pound of peapods on your hands, I highly recommend giving this soup a try.

{Peapod Soup}

1 pound freshly shelled peapods, chopped
2 T. butter
1 onion, diced
5 c. chicken stock, warm
salt, pepper, sugar to taste
2 sprigs mint
1/2 c. fresh or frozen peas, optional
crumbled bacon, optional

Melt the butter  in a small skillet and "sweat" them on low for about 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add them to the warm stock. Bring them to a boil then add the peapods and peas, seasoning as desired, and boiling for 6-8 minutes. Add the mint then run through the blender until smooth. Strain to remove the strings. (Running them through the berry screen of a food strainer works beautifully.) Garnish with bacon crumbles for a little something to bite. 

Enjoy!




Linking to: 
Simple Lives Thursday
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways