Roman-Style Spring Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for finishing, if desired)
• 1 yellow onion (medium, finely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped or grated)
• 6 cups chicken broth (Homemade broth is strongly recommended; use low-sodium if store-bought)
• 1 lb asparagus (woody ends trimmed and spears cut into bite-size pieces)
• 2 cups frozen fava beans (thawed; if not double-peeled, slip each bean from its tough outer hull)
• 2 cups frozen green peas (thawed before adding to the soup)
• 0.25 cup fresh mint (chopped, plus leaves for garnish)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste, freshly ground)

Steps

1. 1

   Thaw the frozen fava beans and peas completely. If the fava beans are not labeled double-peeled, remove the tough outer hull from each bean after thawing. Set the prepared vegetables aside.

2. 2

   In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not browned.

3. 3

   Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a gentle simmer. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

5. 5

   Add the asparagus and simmer for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, until the pieces are tender but still bright green.

6. 6

   Add the thawed fava beans and peas. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, just until the legumes are heated through and the broth has taken on their fresh flavor. Do not add them frozen, since they will lower the broth temperature and slow cooking.

7. 7

   Stir in the chopped mint and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, lemon, or olive oil as needed. The soup should remain brothy and chunky, with the vegetables tender rather than mushy.

8. 8

   Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with additional mint leaves and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Serve hot.

Notes

The source page was access-restricted and exposed only the dish description, yield, cook time, ingredient highlights, and preparation tip; the ingredient quantities and detailed method above are culinary reconstruction rather than a verbatim extraction. Frozen fava beans are often peeled, but beans that are not double-peeled may require removal of their tough hulls. Homemade chicken broth is recommended for the richest flavor.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• Italian
• Roman
• broth-based
• vegetable-forward
• spring
• gluten-free