Today's from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan is quick, very easy, and surprisingly delicious.

It's hard to cheat on winter right now. It's very present. Will it snow? Not snow? Did we get missed by the storm? It's pleasantly snowing with no sign of Spring. Except for this sweet pea soup. I used frozen baby peas which are my favorite.

I'm guessing that right now most of you could make this soup without a trip to the grocery.

Frozen peas . Check
An onion. Check.
2 Tablespoons (or so) butter
A can/box or frozen chicken stock. Check.
A few leaves of lettuce. Check
Salt and Pepper. Ready to go!

And best of all. Do you have 15 minutes? Yes, I said 15 minutes.

Just sauté the chopped onion in the butter, add the vegetables and seasoning. Now simmer for 10 minutes. I have you 5 minutes to gather the ingredients and chop the onion. After simmering, puree in your food processor or blender (being very, very careful). That's it! You have a lovely, sweet, bright soup. And because it's pureed, it always feels a extra fancy.

Did you see the pretty crackers on the side of the bowl? I'd like to introduce you to Rain Coast crackers. They're from Leslie Stowe Foods, made in Canada. These are Salty Date and Almond. I love them with soft cheeses. Alone, they were perfect with the soup. These are gluten-free if that's important in your diet.

Here are the details adapted from Bon Appetit

To print this recipe, click HERE

Cheating on Winter Pea Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
8 ounces sweet baby or frozen peas (do not thaw)
4 cups sliced romaine lettuce (1/2 of medium head), or 1 heart of Romaine
Crème fraîche or sour cream, for garnish if desired
Crumbled cooked bacon

Melt butter in large saucepan and sauté onion until soft. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in peas and lettuce. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Puree soup in blender until smooth, working in batches. Reheat soup by returning to saucepan, and thin soup with extra broth if necessary. Garnish with creme fraiche and crumbled bacon if desired. Makes about 4 servings.

Have a good weekend. Be safe, and be kind.

It's the time of year when it's easy and almost expected to overindulge. Cookies, candy, hot chocolate, dips... it's everywhere and so hard - at least me- to resist. Enter healthy soup! This is the recipe for those looking for something creamy and fancy with any guilt. It's easy to make and is very impressive. I would go so far as to suggest that those who don't like cauliflower will like Cream of Cauliflower Soup. I like to rate recipes on Gary's "oh yum" scale. This got two "oh yums". He's a huge fan of creamy, velvely soups, and this one glistens with goodness. The recipe is from French Fridays with Dorie, and can be found at food.com, among other sites. It's not too late to pick the book ... or add it to your list for Santa! As you're preparing for the holiday season, you may be finding your refrigerator a little cramped and in need of some paring down. If you have a few less than perfect carrots, some wilty celery and a few onions, you're half way there. Your kitchen will be filled with the wonderful smell of roasting vegetables as you roast the onions, garlic, carrots, leeks and celery.

If yo're in a hurry and just want the soup NOW, pick up a quart of vegetable or chicken stock, chop the cauliflower and add it the the herbs. In 20-30 minutes, puree and you'll have great soup. If you're a stock maker like me, you can make your own stock. It will add about 1-2 hours more, but I think you'll be very pleased with the results.

I roasted mine for about an hour at 400. There was lots of great caramelization on the vegetables.

The key to the golden color is to roast the vegetables long enough, and to deglaze the pan. Just put the sheet pan over a burner, turn on the hear, and add about a a cup of water or wine. The crispy brown bits (fond) will lift off, and the whole works goes into your stock pot with the veggies and water to simmer.

The stock simmered away for about one hour. Time to stain the pretty broth from the vegetables.

I used the cotton strainer designed by Michael Ruhlman to separate the solids from the stock. It you haven't found these already, go to Open Sky and pick up a set. They would also be a great present for the cook in your life. They wash easily and are easier to handle than cheesecloth.

Once the stock was complete, I sauteed new onion, and leeks, and added wth cauliflower and herbs. The new soup simmered about 30 minutes. After a good puree in my beloved Vitamix, the soup was finished. Rich, golden and warm with an amazing aroma.

I hope you'll try this over the holiday season. Serve it is little espresso cups with a dollop of Cream Fraiche, a little cheese or go fancy schmancy with a touch of caviar.