My favorite weeknight soup.

This is definitely not a food blog—nor does it pretend to be—but I just wanted to share with you guys my favorite weeknight soup. I've made a big pot of it on Sunday nights for the past few weeks and haven't gotten sick of it yet, probably because my affinity for peas knows no bounds. Also, it's a Godsend on nights when I get home late and would prefer to reheat rather than cook.

I first saw the recipe for Spanish pea soup on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, which I've taken to DVRing lately because there's something so soothing about listening to Ina talk after a long day at work. But that's neither here nor there; what's important is that soup is so easy to make. Seriously, five ingredients and that's it—and you could easily cut it down to four.

You can find the recipe here, but here's a quick rundown: Shallots and garlic are sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil, then chicken stock and two pounds of peas are added and the whole thing is brought to a boil. Once everything is boiling (and seasoned with salt and pepper), you let it all simmer for about five minutes, then puree the mixture in a blender and serve with a slice of crispy, oven-roasted prosciutto on top and a drizzle of olive oil. I tend to eat it with a big slice of hot, crusty buttered bread on the side, too.  Plus, you can easily make this vegan if you swap out the chicken stock for vegetable and omit the prosciutto topping (which I often do).

Peas, shallots, chicken stock, garlic. To quote the Barefoot Contessa herself, "How easy is that?"

Photo: My own.