PEA SOUP
(2 servings)
As soon as the first fresh peas hit the market, I immediately think of the scent of spring soup we used to make at home. It's the simplest thing — vegetables, water, paprika, a bit of seasoning — and yet it tastes like a hug. Like something you've known your whole life.
So, without much thought, the peas go into my basket along with root vegetables. This combo always leads to our classic spring soup. But this time, I decided to give it a little "upgrade." I skipped the potatoes and swapped out the starch for more protein — and just like that, added more nutrition.
How? I went back to a childhood classic I hadn't used in a while: poured batter dumplings. I made a gluten-free version using buckwheat flour — the result had a slightly "gray" hue, but the taste was still great.
If you don't feel like messing with batter (honestly, some days just aren't made for that), there's a simple trick: take about a quarter of the soup, blend it until smooth, and stir it back in. It works perfectly as a natural thickener, and the flavor stays beautifully clean.
TIP: Slice the veggies into thick rounds using a mandoline. They'll look better on the plate and cook faster, saving you time in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
- 1–2 tablespoons of oil or ghee
- 1 onion
- 1 spring onion
- 250 g fresh peas
- 2 carrots
- 1 parsley root
- 1 small celery root
- parsley leaves
- 1.5 liters of water
- whole black pepper
- salt
- sweet paprika powder
POURED BUTTER
- 1 egg
- salt
- 100 g buckwheat flour
INSTRUCTIONS
- Sauté finely chopped onion in olive oil, add root vegetables grated on a mandoline, and briefly sauté. Season with salt and add sweet paprika, sauté for a moment. Add whole black peppercorns, pour in water, and add peas.
- Bring the soup to a boil, add spring onion and chopped parsley. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Batter drops: Whisk an egg, add a pinch of salt and buckwheat flour, and mix into a thinner batter that can be poured. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter. Pour the batter through a fork while rotating it over the pot of boiling soup, or let it drip in slowly. Cook for four minutes.
