Serves 4-6 Cooking time ~2 hrs
I know all my latinos understand me when I say this, but I honestly love eating soup when it's hot. My abuelita made soup almost every day, no matter the weather. Eating hot soup during summer days makes me very nostalgic and always warms my heart.
My Abuelita and mom used to make this recipe a lot when I was younger, but it's actually become more challenging over the years to find whole green peas at the supermarket; most only carry split peas. If you have any trouble finding whole peas, you can get them online (but they're a lot more expensive unfortunately).
Special shout out to my Tia Patty for sharing her recipe! I followed her steps, but had to substitute a few ingredients to work with what I had available.
Ingredients
1 lb of whole green peas
1 green plantain
1 white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 tomato
1 bunch of cilantro
1 pack of sazon (tomato and cilantro seasoning)
~3 tablespoons of Abuelita's aliño
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
optional - small chunk of jamón serrano
Night before Prep:
Soak the whole green peas in water overnight. Make sure there is enough water to completely cover all of the peas.
Prep:
1. After soaking the green peas overnight, rinse and drain them.
2. In a deep pot, add in the peas along with 6 cups of water, 1/2 white chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic & the chunk of jamón serrano. Bring the water to boil on high heat, then cook on medium high heat for 1.5 - 2 hours, until the peas are tender. Make sure to stir occasionally.
3. In a separate pot, make the refrito: finely chop the onion, bell pepper & tomato and sauté in 3 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/4 cup of water on medium heat.
4. Once the refrito is thoroughly cooked, add in the peeled & chopped plantain, chopped cilantro, 6 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of Abuelita's aliño and 1 pack of sazón seasoning, along with the 1 lb of cooked green peas.
5. Bring the water to a boil and lower to medium high heat. Cook for about 15-20 mins or until the plantains are fork tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tip: My family always makes white rice and adds a little into the alverjas. Also, my mom likes to add a squeeze of lemon before serving to brighten it up.
Enjoy!