This Pea and Bean Soup with Crispy Prosciutto is what I consider to be the ultimate cozy bowl, it brings together the creamy comfort of a classic bean soup with the fresh flavor of fresh green peas and a rather luxurious topping- crispy prosciutto! Tender garbanzo beans, lentils, and peas simmer together in a savory broth until everything reduces into a rich, velvety soup. Finished with a sprinkle of crispy, crunchy prosciutto, it's proof that comfort food doesn’t have to have to heavy to be stick to your ribs delicious.
1tbspneutral tasting oil, like vegetable or avocado
6slicesprosciutto
¼cupbutter
3green onions
2clovesgarlic
small handful fresh sage leaves, about 4-5
1canchickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1canbrown lentils, rinsed and drained
1cupfrozen or fresh shelled green peas
5cupsgood quality ham or vegetable stock
1bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the proscuitto slices. Fry the prosciutto until crispy- it should only take a few minutes since they are so thin. You can also air fry them at 400F for 3-4 minutes.
Drain the prosciutto on paper towels and set aside.
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat until foamy. Finely chop the green onions, garlic, and sage.
Sauté the green onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Sprinkle in the sage and sauté for another 1 minute.
Add in the chickpeas and lentils. Sauté them with the green onion mixture for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the vegetable stock, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Remember that the prosciutto and canned beans are quite salty already so you may not need to salt your soup so heavily.
Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, adding the peas into the soup during the last 5 minutes to keep their bright green color.
Blend half of the soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, leaving whole beans and peas for texture.
Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls and crumble the prosciutto slices over each serving. Serve hot.
Keyword bean soup ideas, healthy soup recipes, plant based soups, Soup, soup for two recipe, Winter soups