I don’t really like the idea of pea soup. I find it is always a bit too creamy or sweet or weird. Anyway, it was raining yesterday and I felt like soup. I was going to make chicken-something-something soup with some leftover chicken I had in the freezer, but then I found two bags of sad little peas and immediately changed my mind.

This soup isn’t pretty… but it sure beats the hell out of those weird pea soup recipes you see. It’s chunky, spicy and just delicious.

Spice Pea Stew (Kaprise Kitchen Original)

• 3 cups of frozen peas, rinsed under cold water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup of chopped beet greens (you can use spinach, kale, or any other green you would like)
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of spicy pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt butter over medium heat
2. Saute onions until soft and translucent
3. Add beet greens and continue to saute over medium heat until soft
4. Add in celery and peas
5. Smoosh (hehe… smush? squish?) the peas with the back of a ladle. I squish about 1/2 so that there is texture to my stew (Alternatively, you could blend 1/2 of the mixture with an immersion blender or other device for a smoother texture).
6. Add all of the spices (you may want to add in increments so that you can adjust accordingly). Taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
7. Just cover the vegetables in filtered water, cover and bring to a boil
8. Lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes
9. Serve and enjoy!