Pea Soup with Rye Croutons and Chive Blossoms

It’s finally starting to feel like the spring here in Indianapolis, with flowering trees and tulips, asparagus and spring peas, and that pungent smell of chives after a freshly cut lawn (chives are rampant weeds in our neighborhood!). We’re so pleased to bring you this recipe to celebrate spring from our friend Sarah Copeland, whose new vegetarian cookbook Feast caught our eye.

Not only is Sarah the most kind and genuine soul, her cookbook is brilliant, creative, and was nominated for a James Beard award. The book is packed full of luscious and beautifully-styled vegetarian meals, which are organized both seasonally and functionally (such as, meals for a crowd versus small meals, which we love). We picked a spring pea soup to highlight for you, which we knew would be fun to photograph with the chive blossom garnish.

How to find chive blossoms if you’re not growing them yourself? I ran to the Indy winter market on its last day and was lucky to find two bunches of chives with flowers from Harvestland Farm. We would recommend growing your own chives at home in a pot or in a garden, but it’s possible your nearest farmer’s market might have a bundle. Either way, this is an incredibly fun way to use the blossoms – and they end up being quite tasty! And while the soup looks a little fancy, it’s actually quite simple to put together.

Would you like a copy of Feast? We’re giving away 1 copy to one lucky winner! To enter, follow us on Instagram and leave a comment on the pea soup photograph. We’ll choose one winner at random!

The Rules: One entry per person, U.S. residents only. Commenting will close on Friday, May 9, 2014 at 9:00 pm, EST. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, May 9.

This giveaway is brought to you by Sarah Copeland and Chronicle Books.

Pea Soup with Rye Croutons and Chive Blossoms

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• Author: a Couple Cooks

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 thick slices whole-grain rye bread, cut into small cubes
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Fresh chives with blossoms for garnish
• 2 3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 10 ounces fresh or frozen peas
• 1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste (optional)
• 3/4 cup full-fat plain yogurt
• Finishing oil for drizzling (we used olive oil)

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Toss the bread cubes in the oil, turning with tongs or a heat-proof spatula to toast on all sides, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate to cool. (You can make these up to one day in advance; just be sure to cool completely and store in an airtight container.)
2. Pull the chive blossoms from the chives and chop the green shoots.
3. Heat the stock in a large soup pot over high heat until simmering. Add the peas and cook until bright green and just cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender in batches to process until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the wasabi (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt and process until smooth and slightly creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Return to the pot and keep warm over a low flame until you are ready to serve.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with croutons, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with pepper and scatter the chopped chives and their blossoms generously over the top. Serve warm.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Sarah Copeland and Feast: Generous Vegetarian Meals for Any Eater and Every Appetite