Asparagus and Pea Soup: Real Convenience Food

Trying to lose some baby weight? Want to improve your health by eating more veggies? Pregnant and bone tired? Overwhelmed by the office? Stressed by staying at home with your kids? I bet we all have more in common than we think.

For instance, don't we all feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? I'm here to tell you that - no matter how busy and tired you are - you can find time to cook real, wholesome food for your family and for yourself.

Shortcuts help. Here's one that I often rely on: cooking with good quality, prepared ingredients. Now if you have visions/nightmares of Sandra Lee and her Semi-Home Cooking empire...don't. I'm not talking about putting food coloring and Cool Whip in everything you consume.

Instead, I utilize things like organic broth and frozen veggies to create quick, healthful, easy, and quick (did I say that before?) meals, like this soup. Enjoy a bowl of it for dinner, pour it over pasta for little kids that aren't great with spoons yet, or bring it to work in a Thermos. It's versatile and satisfying. 

This soup is also chock full of nutrition. Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse for all of us, but especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It is an excellent source of the birth-defect-fighting folate and is rich in Vitamin C. Peas are high in protein, iron and fiber. Both asparagus and peas are great sources of Vitamin K, necessary for proper blood clotting. In rare cases, newborns may be deficient; increasing your K intake can raise the levels in your breast milk.

Ingredients:

• 1T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1/2 onion
• a couple of garlic cloves
• bag of frozen organic asparagus (preferably thawed)
• 2-3c of frozen organic peas
• box of organic, low-sodium vegetable broth
• dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Chop the garlic and onions; don't worry about making them tiny or perfect - they're going to get pureed, anyway. And make sure you use fresh onions and garlic, which provide lots of nutritional benefits and much better flavor than powders.

Sautee the onions in the EVOO, adding the garlic after a couple of minutes; cook until the onions are translucent. Add the whole bag of asparagus and cover everything with the broth. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using. 

Simmer until the asparagus is bright green and tender (if you've thawed the asparagus it will only take a couple of minutes). Turn off the heat and puree using an immersion blender. Asparagus is quite fibrous, so be patient and blend until smooth.

Add peas (the heat of the soup will quickly thaw them) and puree until smooth; add more until it reaches the thickness you like. I usually add closer to two to two-and-a-half cups, but do more if that's what you prefer.

Top with chives and a small dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream or greek yogurt. Big croutons would be great, as well.

Take a few extra moments to garnish the soup and make it seem like a decadent treat.

Can you taste the delicious green-ness of this??

Note: Asparagus has diuretic properties, which is great for reducing water retention and bloat. But if you're pregnant and already peeing constantly, make sure to have this soup early in the day; if you have it for dinner, you may have to make extra bathroom trips during the night. You need all the sleep you can get!