Fresh peas are inestimably better than frozen for munching, but by the time you cook them and mix them with ginger, they have lost much of their advantage; if you can’t find them or deal with them—the shelling does take a while—by all means use frozen.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

　　2 tablespoons roughly chopped peeled fresh ginger, or more to taste (up to 1/4 cup)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 quart chicken or other stock

　　

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the peas and ginger are very tender, about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes.

　　

Step 2

Pour into a blender and carefully blend until pureed. Return to the pan over medium-low heat and reheat gently, stirring occasionally. When the soup is hot, adjust the seasoning and serve.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.