Creamy Fresh Pea Soup with Basil and Lime

Life near Boston gets hectic. When thoughts of packing up and moving to Montana fill my mind, I turn to stitching and cooking. These domestic pleasures rescue me. An afternoon spent whipping up a wonderful soup and working on a pretty French monogram soothe my soul. A movie marathon is also welcome.

So lets talk about this creamy, dreamy, fast and easy pea soup. It's made with frozen peas. They're elevated to something quite fresh and lovely. White wine, basil and fennel give it a complex flavor. If you don't love fennel, you can omit it with good results. But, it quietly complements the flavor of the peas and basil. I've been making quick pea soups with frozen peas for a while now. See the recipe section above for all my fresh pea soup recipes. 

The soup is bright green, a real mood booster. The cooking is unfussy. The results are wonderful. The entire process takes under thirty minutes. The soup also reheats well. Some whole peas are sprinkled in at the end of cooking for a contrast in texture.

Creamy Dreamy Fresh Pea Soup Recipe

serves 4-6 

Some Notes

Rapunzel No Salt Vegetable Bouillon is what I use in this soup. It has a pure, clean taste that I love. If you can't find it then substitute your favorite bouillon or omit the bouillon and just use water or use the same amount of your favorite vegetable broth or stock.

You can use a large onion instead of the shallots.  

Serve it with a squeeze of fresh lime, some chives and/or basil and a dollop of creme fraiche. Croutons, crumbled bacon, sauteed crab, shrimp or scallops are also welcome. We like to eat this soup with smoked salmon and boursin cheese tartines

Ingredients

• 3 shallots, diced
• 1 fennel bulb chopped into small pieces (optional)
• 3 16-ounce bags of frozen petite or baby peas
• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup light cream
• 2 cups of water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube. I use Rapunzel No Salt Vegan Bouillon (optional, see notes)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil and butter for cooking
• 1 generous handful of fresh basil, chopped

Serving options: dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream, squeeze of lemon or lime, freshly chopped basil, chives and fennel fronds, sauted shrimp or scallops, croutons, crumbled bacon

Instructions

Saute the shallots and the fennel with salt and pepper in some olive oil and butter until soft. Add the Rapunzel Bouillon cubes, wine and two cups of water. Salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Add two 16 ounce bags of frozen peas. Bring back to a simmer. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, until the peas are tender but remain bright green. Take the pot off the heat and add the handful of chopped basil. Puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender or food processor. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Stir in the light cream and about half of the third bag of peas. Stir in a couple of squeezes of fresh lime juice. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and chopped basil. If using the fennel bulb in this recipe, you may also garnish the soup with some chopped fennel fronds. Enjoy! 

Bon Appetit!

xo ~ Jilly