Add a splash of colour to your day with Ricardo’s pea soup
Every freezer should have a bag of peas next to the ice-cube tray
While it’s technically spring, it’ll be another few weeks till any grass or leaves appear so it’s a good time to break out the bag of frozen peas to get some greenery in your life.
Frozen peas are an underrated ingredient to have in the kitchen, says Montrealbased TV chef and Star recipe columnist Ricardo, who stopped by the test kitchen to cook up a pot of his creamy pea soup. The legumes are hearty, affordable, have a slightly crisp texture and can add a pop of colour and sweet flavour to just about any weeknight meal.
“Make a pea omelette. Sauté peas, crack open some eggs in the pan, add cheese and you have lunch,” Ricardo says. “Or make a risotto with peas and chicken broth. Add a piece of fish and you have a weeknight meal. Or add peas to sautéed onion, salt, pepper and herbs and serve cold for a beautiful green salad. I also just like frying them with salt for a snack.”
The humble pea has made huge strides over the last century with the invention of preserving food by means of flash-freezing in 1924.
Prior to that, peas were either dried, stored in tins or were kept in freezers where they would slowly freeze. The downside to these methods is that the peas would turn brown or become mushy. By freezing food quickly, the ice crystals in the food are smaller, which results in the food’s cellular structure remaining more intact. This means when the food is thawed, it retains the texture, shape and colour from when it was picked fresh.
In fact, British chef Fergus Henderson famously said in Saveur magazine, “Wait until peas are in season. Then use frozen.”
Ricardo also praises the pea for its brilliant green colour that draws eyes to the plate — or bowl, in the case of his creamy pea soup.
“This soup is nice enough that you can entertain with,” he says. “If you want to take this for lunch at the office, add something on top like a piece of toast or a poached egg.
“A pea soup is sweet but not overpowering, so I like to add a bit of oil with pesto and a splash of lime to add a contrasting acidity. It’s just a simple way to make it fancier.”
Frozen peas are a handy kitchen staple for tossing into pasta and rice bowls, or making into a quick soup that’ll last the week without sacrificing taste or texture. Next to the ice-cube tray, there should always be a bag of peas in your freezer.