Spanish Pea Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

Are you ready for an easy, tasty, and cheap recipe??  Then keep on reading my friends.  I was hesitant about this soup,  because it only has 5 ingredients and the main ingredient is peas, which we don't eat often.  My friend swore she and her husband loved it so I knew I needed to give it a try.  It really knocked my socks off.  Even Matt loved it, like he was gobbling down spoonfuls before we even sat down to eat.  I think the caramelized shallots and garlic gave it great flavor.  This soup took maybe 10 minutes to whip together and cost less than $10 to make.  The crispy prosciutto on top pairs so perfectly with the peas it is like they were made for each other.  We served ours with cheese toast and it was the best rainy day meal.

 If you don't have an immersion blender I highly recommend you get one.  It changed my life.  I used to be trying to ladle out hot soup into the blender to puree it and now I can just stick the blender in the pot and puree.  I always see them at TJMaxx and Homegoods for around $40,  totally worth it!  

  This soup was ridiculously good,  just trust me and make it!

{Spanish Pea Soup With Crispy Prosciutto}

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

Ingredients:

Good olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots (2 large shallots)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 pounds frozen peas, such as Bird’s Eye Sweet Garden
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 thin slices Spanish Serrano ham or Italian prosciutto

In a deep (8 x 5-inch) heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chicken stock, frozen peas, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Purée with an immersion blender until coarsely puréed. (I like it to have some texture.) Alternatively, use a blender to purée the soup 1 cup at a time. Pour the soup back into the pot and season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of the stock, I may add up to another teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to give the soup a very bright flavor.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the ham in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast for 5 to 8 minutes, until crisp.

Reheat the soup and serve in shallow bowls with a slice of crispy ham on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve hot.