SERVES 4 TO 6
A few Classic Croutons are the perfect embellishment to this smooth soup.
|
4 |
tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter |
|
4 |
large shallots, minced (about 1 cup), or 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts chopped fine and rinsed thoroughly (about 1⅓ cups) |
|
2 |
tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour |
|
3½ |
cups low-sodium chicken broth |
|
1½ |
pounds frozen peas (about 4½ cups), partially thawed at room temperature for 10 minutes |
|
12 |
small leaves Boston lettuce (about 3 ounces), washed and dried |
|
½ |
cup heavy cream |
|
Table salt and ground black pepper |
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the shallots and cook, covered, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, process the peas in a food processor until coarsely chopped, about 20 seconds. Add the peas and lettuce to the saucepan. Increase the heat to medium-high, cover, and return to a simmer; cook for 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer 2 minutes longer.
3. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, filling the blender jar only halfway for each batch. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard the solids in the strainer. Rinse and dry the saucepan; return the pureed mixture to the saucepan and stir in the cream. Warm the soup over low heat until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.)