Pea and Mint Soup with Crispy Ham

5 from 4 votes

A delicious pea and mint soup topped with crispy Spanish ham. The perfect springtime soup recipe!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: -6 servings

Calories: 338.74kcal

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots or sub 1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 medium potato diced
5 cups of peas fresh or frozen
5 cups of vegetable broth if you are using fresh peas make sure to make a broth out of the pea pods and other veggie scraps you have around!
A handful of fresh mint roughly chopped
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 Tablespoon cream optional
Cured ham Iberian, Serrano, or Prosciutto

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the chopped shallots and leeks.
Sauté over medium heat until translucent, but not yet browned (7-10 minutes).
Add the garlic and sauté for about another minute, until fragrant.
Add the vegetable broth and diced potatoes and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the crispy ham strips (see below).
Add the peas and cook for about five to ten minutes more (fresh peas will need at least the full five minutes, while frozen peas only need a couple of minutes to warm up).
Take the soup off of the heat and add the fresh mint leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a traditional blender, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Make sure the soup is completely smooth.
Add a tablespoon of cream if you wish, for an even more indulgent soup.
Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Top your pea and mint soup with crispy ham and enjoy!

Cut the cured ham into ¼ inch strips and spread out over parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, stirring midway through.
Alternatively, you can heat full pieces of ham in a frying pan (like you’d cook bacon) until crispy.