To prepare this classic Italian green pea soup, you can use either fresh or frozen peas.
If using fresh peas, they should be soaked in cold water for at least overnight and kept in the refrigerator.
Pancetta can easily be replaced with bacon or another type of cured pork with layers of meat. It can also be cut into small cubes instead of strips, as shown in my step-by-step photos of this pea soup.
Italian Pea Soup
A delicious Italian pea soup with pancetta cooked in vegetable broth.
Equipment
- Soup pot
- Pot for the vegetable broth
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 400 gr fresh or frozen peas
- 100 gr onion
- 100 gr carrot
- 100 gr celery stalk
- 50 gr pancetta
- olive oil
- bay leaf
- garlic
- salt
For the vegetable broth
- 1 onion or leek
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- bay leaf
- rosemary
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetable broth. Place the vegetables in a pot, cover them with water, and put the pot over low heat (photo 1). Cook covered and keep the broth hot throughout the cooking process.In a separate pot, heat olive oil with garlic (photo 2). Cut the pancetta into pieces (photo 3) and add it to the hot oil.
- Fry the pancetta (photo 4). Then carefully remove it from the pot, leaving the rendered fat behind, and add the onion. Sauté it (photo 5). As you chop the vegetables, add the carrot and cook it briefly. Then add the celery (photo 6).
- After lightly sautéing the vegetables (photo 7), add the rinsed peas (photo 8). Pour the hot vegetable broth that you prepared earlier (photo 9) into the soup pot (photo 10).
- The soup should be very thick, so add the broth gradually and only as needed. Keep an eye on the soup throughout the cooking process and add more broth whenever necessary to maintain the right amount of liquid (photo 11).
- You can also add another bay leaf directly to the soup pot to give it an even richer flavor. Season with salt only at the end of cooking. Once you turn off the heat, return the fried pancetta to the soup (photo 12).
Notes
The pea soup can be blended until smooth, then topped with the fried pancetta before serving. This is how I prepare it for my son.
