As mentioned in the sweet pea puree hors d'oeuvres, this is my sister's favorite dish that I make. She subtly fist pumps the air, excited that her favorite comfort food is on the menu that night. This soup has a sophisticated flavor profile and is quite delicate, playing off the sweetness of the peas with the pungency of the white truffle and the piquant flavor of white pepper (which has a "purer" pepper taste than black pepper, which can be more nutty or floral). The straining is to get a velvet smooth texture, and takes some time and effort. But because the soup requires a short cooking time (no more than 20 minutes, basically to heat it through), it's worth the effort in the long run, and takes no more time than any other soup one makes from scratch, which could take several hours of simmering to have the flavors meld. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For 6
6, 12 oz bags frozen organic sweet peas (make sure they are sweet peas, rather than regular peas)
Several drops white truffle oil
White pepper
1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
6-7 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Crème fraiche
4 strips thinly sliced pancetta (or bacon), cut into small pieces
Directions:
Fill a pot up with water, and add the salt and sugar. Bring the water to a boil and cook the peas for 3 minutes. Drain the peas and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process. This maintains their beautiful color and texture. Take the peas and put it into the food processor (this may take more than one round, given the amount) and blitz until the peas are fully pureed. Push the pea puree through a wire strainer (make sure the holes aren't too small, otherwise this will be a painfully long process) and using a spatula, scrape the strained puree into a pot. Take the left-over puree, place in the food processor with a few tablespoons of hot water and blitz again. Push this through the strainer as well. The goal is to get as much puree as possible. Once you get through the 6 bags, you should have about 6 cups of velvety smooth puree. Put the pot with pea puree over medium heat, and add the chicken broth. Depending on the amount of puree you have, you may need less or more broth, so add a few cups at a time, to make sure you maintain a thick, soupy consistency. Stir to combine. Taste the mixture (to gage the saltiness or sweetness) and add sugar or salt depending on taste. Add five drops of white truffle oil and a small amount of finely ground white pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly; I like lots of pepper in mine. When you are almost ready to serve (like, 5 minutes away), add the heavy cream and stir.
Meanwhile, cook the pancetta until crispy. To serve the soup, ladle out the soup and drizzle a little creme fraiche over it with a spoon. Add several pieces of pancetta on top. Serve while hot (it's good chilled too) and enjoy!
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