Being able to get out to the park early and stay out most of the day is key right about now. We love to spend our time luxuriating in the sunshine, sliding and running and bicycling around our neighborhood. That doesn’t leave much time for elaborate recipes.
To maximize our time, we threw together this soup made of classic spring veggies: little peas and asparagus along with a bit of zucchini to lend to the soup’s sweetness and mint for freshness. If you have babies ready for solids, this is a tasty puree. To make a light soup, we added a little water and a swirl of yogurt. The wee dollop of creme fraiche? Let’s just say that it isn’t optional in our home.
Easy Peas-y Spring Soup
*3 c. green peas, fresh if possible but frozen will do, too
*1 c. asparagus, woody ends snapped off and remaining spears snapped in two
*1 c. zucchini or summer squash, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
*2 T-1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated (depending on taste…we love it!)
*1 t. fresh spearmint
*1/2-1 c. plain yogurt
*1-2 c. water or stock
*salt and pepper, to taste
*creme fraiche for dolloping
Together: Place the peas and asparagus in a medium saucepan with about a cup of water.
Big Person: Bring the peas and asparagus to a boil over a medium-high flame and let boil for 2-3 minutes, till tender but still bright green. When it has cooked, strain the vegetables, and reserve the cooking water to use later in the recipe. Let the vegetables cool for several minutes.
Together: Place the asparagus and peas into the bowl of an unplugged (!) food processor (or blender) along with the zucchini, parmesan cheese, and mint. After the top of the processor has been closed properly, plug the food processor into the wall. Have your mini-chef press the very powerful “on” button and blitz the green stuff to a lovely puree.
Unplug the machine before you take off the processor’s top, and Big Person can pour the puree into a bowl or tureen. At this point, you have a puree for baby which you could leave as is or stir a bit of water or yogurt into till it’s the right texture for your child. If you’re going on to make the soup, add the yogurt first and then add enough water to make your desired consistency. Be sure to use the reserved veggie-cooking water first for more flavor and nutrients. Season with salt and pepper.
Chill or serve room temperature with a dollop of creme fraiche and a small mint leaf.
