Eat the season with this fresh and garlicky green garlic and pea soup with whipped cream swirls.
Today we’re going to learn where babies come from.
AWKWARD.
Apparently there are some of us who, at the ripe old age of 27, are still very unclear on the subject.
Not naming names.
But how is a girl supposed to know that storks do not deliver wrinkly paper-skinned bulbs of garlic straight from the heavens and onto the truck that delivers to her favorite grocery store?!
Oh, you thought I meant baby babies.
Thank you for your vote of confidence in the NYC sex ed curriculum, but OBVIOUSLY I meant garlic babies.
Baby garlic. Spring garlic. Green garlic.
Or whatever the kids are calling it these days.
Lest you live in as much ignorance as I have, I feel compelled to inform you that these normally skin-sheathed alliums actually spring from the earth as scallion-like creatures that have a less pungent, more nutty and sweet flavor than their fully matured counterparts, allowing them to be eaten raw without any discomfort.
(Mind: blown, am I right?)
However, they’re also up for a good saute with some olive oil and peas, a hearty whirl in the food processor and a drizzle of whipped cream on top.
If you’re into that kind of thing.
On the outside, this combination sounds overwhelmingly simple, but between the sweet earthy peas and the grassy green garlic, what it lacks in ingredient list length, it makes up for in depth of flavor.
Proof that size doesn’t matter.
At least when it comes to what we put in our soups.
- 2 bunches of green garlic or spring garlic (about 1 lb)
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups frozen peas
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Separate the dark green tops from the light green stalks and bulbs of the garlic. Slice the dark green tops about ½-inch thick and the light green bulbs about ¼-inch thick.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the light green stalks and bulbs and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add in the dark green tops and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of water to the pot along with the peas. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion or regular blender, along with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form with a whisk or hand blender. Serve soup swirled with the whipped cream.
For more spring soups, check out these:
Carrot Soup with Collard Greens and Dukkah
From Around the Web:
Ginger, Turmeric Spiced Spring Carrot Soup from Gourmande in the Kitchen
Spring Ramp, Radish and Spinach Soup from Simple Bites
Spring Vegetable Soup with Pesto from Healthy Delicious
Spring Tonic Soup with Wild Greens from Healthy Green Kitchen
Creamy Asparagus, Potato and Leek Soup from Tasty Yummies
I feel lame for never having tried green garlic. But now I’m on a serious mission! I absolutely LOVE the color of this soup. Thank you for educating me in a way my junior high neglected to 🙂
Love your opening statement – was wondering where you were going with it haha! Love the flavor combinations here and it’s pretty of course!
This is such a beautiful spring soup – what a great green color!!
I at least knew spring garlic existed, even if I’ve never seen it in person. It sounds so delicious and this soup looks perfect, hopefully I can get my hands on some!
Gorgeous! I have to admit that I’m not a pea fan but I would try this simply to enjoy the delicious color. Love the addition of the whipped cream too. 🙂
Have a great day Joanne!
First of all, there is whipped cream in your soup! Love. Second, I want a big bowl.
oh my! I must get back on the soup wagon because i feel like i got knocked off during the cold months and now after this post i am craving soup again!
I had no idea. What a beautiful soup!!
This sounds like my kind of soup. I love peas and I love soup. Yum!!!
Oh my gosh!! This sounds so vibrant and flavorful! I’ve never had pea soup, but this looks better than the thoughts of pea soup in my head!
Love that green and white swirl!! Sounds like green garlic is something I should try! Love the idea of a milder flavor!
What a simple and delicious soup! I will have to look for garlic babies soon – or grow some. 🙂
So pretty and unique!
Oooo, these babies sound really interesting, we ‘ll have to get some asap. We love soups, and this green garlic with peas soup sounds so good, I could have this for dinner tonight. Thanks Joanne!
Ha, this is such a great post. It made me laugh a lot and want to head straight to the shops and find some green garlic – this is beautiful!
Looks great – the green garlic is like some kind of love child between garlic, scallions, and shallots. Sound lovely in soup form.
oh those babies are cute and the soup sounds delish – I only found out that garlic has a season a year or two ago – which explains the different sort of garlics at different times of year!!!
These babies are perfect. Soooo fresh and green. Love your write up on this one. I had a giggle!
I love green garlic..they are fantastic to serve with stewed pork belly. The soup must be very delicious.
You’re not alone – I had no idea garlic didn’t come fully formed!! Lesson of the week this discovery 🙂 Gorgeous soup to celebrate it too!
This is such a pretty soup, absolutely LOVE it!
Garlic anything and I’m sold. There is nothing better than the smell of garlic.
That garlic is SO COOL LOOKING!!! I’m dying to try this beautiful green soup!
i love green garlic! it’s so tasty. what a great soup!
I always have trouble finding green garlic. And when I do find it, I stock up!
This is the best time of year for this soup Joanne, love what you did here. Great post as usual!
I LOVE green garlic. Is it weird that I kind of get mad at how short the season is to use it?
Yum yum yum. Thank you for the edification 🙂 My baby questions are now answered… 🙂
Of COURSE I knew you meant those babies! Erm…anywhoo, I actually never knew this, and would now like to get my hands on one of these. This soup looks incredible!
Cannot wait to try this. P.s you kill me.
This looks sooo beautiful!! I dislike peas, but maybe this will be the one thing with peas that I do like!
I love green garlic! It’s lovely, and this sounds like simple perfection.
Also, I’m up in yr blog, pinning all yr soup, don’t mind me (that carrot one, oh my)!
I do love a pea soup – this looks so good!
So interesting about green garlic! I never really knew what it was! This soup is so pretty – love the color!
Now I am kind of tempted to go pull a few of the heads of garlic growing in our backyard, just so I can make this! But I also want to have an actual garlic harvest, so maybe it’s time for a trip to the farmer’s market. 🙂 Yay!
God, you’re my favorite. I laughed out loud with this post! I totally had no idea whoops yeah. And now I don’t care because all that I think about is this gorgeous soup. That whipped cream swirl is calling my name ahh.
That baby stuff is very confusing! but your soup is simply delicious – lovely lovely flavors and so pretty!
mary
Holy moly this soup looks ah-MAZING!!! Love the colour 😉
Thanks for showing pics of the green garlic. Had no idea what it looked like. Will have to keep and eye out so I can make this delicious looking soup!
hahahaha too funny! I love the flavours in this soup…it essentially screams SPRING!
Very clever and innovative. I like the bold green color of the soup.
I love that beautiful green color. I’ve never seen garlic babies before. Sounds delicious 😀
I adore green garlic Joanne, although its season is short.
The soup sounds amazing, Joanne! Love pea soup, but with the addition of garlic and whipped cream it sounds even tastier!
Don’t tell me how this garlic is made or I might say, ‘Grose’. All I know is that this type of garlic is very rare in these parts and difficult to source and could do with a lot more breeding to make it a hellofalot more available xx
I had better get my garlic planted or the stork will have to bring some 🙂
Pea soup just got a makeover, this recipe looks so wonderful 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
What a gorgeous, elegant soup! I LOVE smooth, creamy soups so this is right up my alley! Stunning photos, Joanne! That whipped cream is the puuuuurfect finishing touch. 😀 Pinned!
I SO wish the fiancé liked “green” things! This soup looks amazing, I LOVE GARLIC, but I would have to make a tiny portion so it didn’t all go to waste. Sorry I’ve been a bad commenter, life is crazy, as I’m sure you know too <3
hahaha!!!! This post made me giggle! 😀 I’m loving this green garlic soup!!!!! I haven’t tasted it before but the way you have described it makes me really curious now! Need to make these stat! Pinning!
Girl, my mind totally went there! Love this post. I haven’t cooked with green garlic yet, and I’m going to try to make this soup soon!
Wow I have never tried green garlic before but I am sure I would love it as I adore garlic. I am going to try to find it on my farmers market 🙂
I can almost smell it! sweet pea, bursts of juicy garlic and look at that cream! oooh…x
I can’t believe I never had baby garlic before! I probably passed them by in the store assuming they were scallions. I bet they’re delicious in this gorgeous green soup!
These garlic babies are adorable! I would definitely eat them raw, but I bet they taste amazing in this soup! I also support putting whipped cream on everything, including soup!
This soup is stunning and so springy!
Yum! Garlic is so easy to grow!
Mmmm I don’t have green garlic nearly often enough!
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