Pea Soup

I saw a great recipe for fresh pea soup the other day by Ina Garten. I decided to try it out and loved it, so I thought I'd share it with you all. I've actually simplified down her recipe as it was more flavors than were needed in this nice refreshing spring feeling soup. It's amazingly simple and quick to make and tastes so refreshing!

Ingredients:
2 C chopped leeks (white and light green parts-2 leeks)
1 C chopped yellow onion
4 C chicken stock
20 oz frozen peas (or 5 C freshly shelled peas)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Garlic Croutons (optional)

Optional Ingredients: (these are what I took out and liked it better without, but feel free to try them as it might add something you like)
2/3 C chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
1/2 C sour cream (or creme fraiche if you can find it)
1/2 C freshly chopped chives

Put a couple TBSPs of the chicken stock in the bottom of a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender (original recipe calls for butter instead of the stock, but isn't really needed). Add the rest of the chicken stock and increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3-5 minutes until the peas are tender (frozen peas only take 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
*if you want the mint leaves add them at this point*
add salt and pepper, then puree the soup (if you have a hand wand for this it's perfect, if not do about 1 C at a time in a blender to puree the soup, adding more soup while blending until the blender is 3/4 full-then put that soup into bowls and repeat until all soup has been pureed).
Serve hot with garlic croutons
*also top with sour cream (or creme fraiche) and chives if you so desire*
Joshua loves this one too. The kids ate it as long as they had tons of croutons, but I have to admit the bright green color I think scared them some.