Spring Green Soup Starring Cauliflower and Peas

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

This lovely green-hued soup says “Welcome, Spring!” yet it still delivers the hearty warmth of creamy cauliflower, perfect for cool evenings at the beginning of the season.

With spring comes not only warmer weather but an exciting array of vegetables that mark the beginning of local produce. Strawberries, fava beans, asparagus, and rhubarb all get the spotlight while winter root vegetables slowly leave the stage. Sure, I’ve written about these spring delights time and again, and will do so when the season truly arrives in these parts. That should be sometime in May. (Or June.) In the meantime, cooking in April for me usually means bringing in a few of these spring treats to brighten up menus while still relying on winter staples like parsnips

Today’s soup is a perfect example, providing comfort and warmth for a chilly day and a pretty green hue to remind us that it is, in fact, spring. All you do is make up a big batch of cauliflower and parsnip soup—or basic roasted cauliflower, if you prefer—and add green peas to the mix. If you’re lucky enough to be seeing local green peas at your market (or fava beans, for that matter) then go ahead and use those. But if you don’t, or aren’t up for shelling, then defrosted frozen peas work just fine. That’s what I used here, about 2 cups puréed into the mix. Add as many as you like until the color and taste says “Spring!”

It just might be the perfect spring soup.

At least, here in New England.

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