Raise your hand if you've got a bag of frozen peas somewhere in the back of your freezer! This recipe is for you. It's a perfect last-minute meal (30 minutes, tops!) for when you haven't got a plan for dinner. Plus it's delicious!
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium high heat.
Add olive oil.
When the mixture is hot, add the chopped onion and celery.
Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent.
Add chopped garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the peas.
Add 4 cups of chicken broth, thyme, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat. You can cover it to make it go faster, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over.
Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the onions and celery are completely soft.
Turn the heat off. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup, or use a regular blender with a towel over the top of the spout (to let steam escape). You'll have to do a few batches. The soup turns out a lot creamier when you use a real blender.
If your soup is looking thick, feel free to add that last cup of chicken broth if you want.
Add the cream to the soup and heat it up again on the stove if necessary.
* you can use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian if you want.* Smoked paprika is not the same as regular paprika. Regular paprika will still taste good, but it won't lend that smoky flavor we're going for.