Spring Fresh Vegetarian Pea Soup

Peas are like the Rodney Dangerfield of legumes—they “don’t get no respect.” But they’re a real nutritional heavyweight. They’ve got a generous amount of protein, quite a bit of vitamin A, plus calcium, potassium, choline, and a nice helping of lutein and zeaxanthin, two essential nutrients for eye health. Peas themselves have a whopping 9 grams of fiber per cup, making them a fiber superstar. Luscious, relatively low in calories, high in fiber, and very filling, this soup is the poster child for healthy comfort food.

You might wonder how to make a great pea soup without the hambone. But the sad fact is the treatment of factory farmed pigs is almost too cruel to contemplate. Trust me, you won’t miss it. —Dr. Jonny

Notes from The Clean Food Coach

There is some confusion about the difference between spring onions, green onions, and scallions. Green onions and scallions are just different names for the same plant, with long, tender green stalks and narrow white bulbs. Their flavor is mild and a bit grassy, and they are usually available year-round. Spring onions have a much larger white bulb and a stronger oniony taste, but they’re still mild and lightly sweet. Look for them in early to mid-spring. Leeks and Vidalia onions make good substitutes in this recipe if you can’t find true spring onions.

Featured Ingredient: Ghee

Ghee is clarified butter, which means its basically butter with the milk solids removed. But to treat ghee as just a form of butter doesn’t properly acknowledge the fact that this food has traditionally been used for its health-giving properties.

Ghee has a long and respected history as a medicinal and healing food in Ayurvedic medicine, a tradition that dates back nearly 5,000 years. In Ayurveda, it’s believed to strengthen the ojas, the vital energy cushion at the root of our well-being and immunity. In her classic book Food and Healing, Annemarie Colbin, PhD, calls ghee one of the three best-quality fats.

View our Spring Fresh Pea Soup recipe.