I Tried Ina Garten’s 5-Star Pea Soup Recipe, and It’s Now My Favorite Way to Use Frozen Vegetables

After testing nearly 100 Ina Garten recipes, dozens have inspired me to utter one of her signature taglines: “how easy is that?” A handful have been admittedly more of a project. (I’m looking at you, Real Meatballs and Spaghetti and Coconut Cake.) This is no fault of Ina, of course. She didn’t bill those recipes as easy, and I appreciate that her recipe arsenal has range—and continues to teach me new tricks. 

But with spring approaching and the weather finally getting nice enough to spend some time outside, I’ve been flipping through Ina’s cookbooks once again. My mission: Find a few new quick, easy, and seasonal lunch and dinner ideas to tuck in my back pocket. This way, I’ll never be far from a delicious and nourishing meal that will allow me to celebrate the nicer weather where I’d really like to be. That is, on the patio with a glass of wine, not in the kitchen.

The moment I landed on a page of her 2012 cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, and spotted  a 5-ingredient recipe for a vibrantly-colored pea soup, I immediately moved this to the top of my must-try list.

How to Make Ina’s Spanish Pea Soup with Crispy Ham

In addition to in her cookbook and on Instagram, this pea soup recipe also made an appearance on an episode of Barefoot Contessa: Modern Comfort Food. It’s clearly an Ina favorite, so let’s try it out to find out if it will be in our kitchens, too.

Here’s how to make this easy pea soup recipe:

1. Prepare the soup. In a deep saucepan over medium heat, add good olive oil. Once warm, add chopped shallots and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in chicken stock (preferably homemade, Ina advises), plus frozen peas , kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, purée until the soup is creamy but still has a little texture. Season to taste.
2. Roast the ham. Place thin slices of Spanish Serrano ham or Italian prosciutto in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast in a 425° F oven until crisp, which should take about 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Build the bowls. Serve the warm soup in shallow bowls with a slice of crispy ham and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tips For Making Pea Soup

In less than 30 minutes, this spring soup is ready to spoon. If you’re feeling tempted to try it too, here are a few pointers from Ina, our Test Kitchen, and our fellow home cooks who have also given this a go.

• Skip the stick. If you don’t have—or don’t love using—an immersion blender, a regular countertop blender also works, Ina confirms. Simply transfer the soup from the pot to the blender pitcher 1 cup at a time to purée to your desired consistency.
• Add some richness. Blending helps turn veggies and stock into a surprisingly thick and satisfying soup. If you’d like to make this more similar to a cream soup, finish the dish by stirring in a splash of heavy cream or a scoop of plain Greek yogurt.
• Spiff up the spices. One Barefoot Contessa fan raves about their rendition featuring 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Just like the Serrano ham, this nods to Spanish cuisine. Plus, they swear “this one ingredient tied together the freshness of the peas with the smoky crisp ham garnish.”
• Chill out. As the weather continues to warm up, I look forward to making this pea soup in advance, then refrigerating it for 2 hours before serving. Serving it chilled, similar to gazpacho, sounds so invigorating.
• Make it a meal. I peeked at the nutrition info, and realized that this is a sneakily healthy meal idea. Each serving packs 15 grams of protein (more than 2 large eggs!) and 8 grams of fiber. Still, at 245 calories, it’s a little light for a meal. To round things out, consider pairing a bowl with Ina’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese, Oprah’s Love Sandwich, a Flat Croissant Ham and Cheese Sandwich, or a slice or two of crusty sourdough bread.

The Verdict On Ina Garten’s Pea Soup Recipe

Another Ina fan nailed it when they said, “Soups can be good. Soups can be easy. This one is both, exceptionally so.” 

This pea soup was fresh and filling, and far more elegant and delicious than I thought would be possible in a 5-ingredient, 25-minute recipe. It’s earthy, savory, sweet, and balanced with the just-right amount of seasoning, thanks to the stock and salt. Plus, the crispy ham topping lends such lovely textural contrast and extra umami. I also appreciate the fact that it calls for frozen peas—a budget-friendly staple that means it’s possible for this soup to taste as incredible in October as it does in April, when fresh peas can be swapped in.

Quite possibly the best part is that this pea soup tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to marry. (Just keep the crispy ham separate, or roast that fresh to add on top!) I look forward to using this for everything from mid-week meal prep to holiday dinners. It’s foolproof enough for one while feeling fancy enough for the other. As Ina would say, "how bad can that be?"