Alverjon Maduro (Pea Soup). Photo by Liddie Martinez
Video on how to prepare Alverjon Maduro (Pea Soup). Video by Liddie Martinez
By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley
It is a blessing to live in Northern New Mexico, surrounded by people who have pride in their cultural heritage. They have a profound respect for our land and water and a dedication to continue the traditions we learned from our ancestors with a commitment to keep teaching our kids. It warms my heart to watch our men, young and grown, helping clean the acequias. Many of our neighbors took advantage of the time at home during COVID to build kitchen gardens and small vegetable plots. We see a resurgence in learning how to grow our own food and recognizing the value of a larger step toward self-sufficiency.
That spirit of subsistence farming is an ancient tradition that still exists in our region with an eye towards commercial enterprise. We see a growing number of choices at our Farmer’s Markets and even have fresh flowers and value-added food vendors that are marketing their goods. Small scale farming is slowly making a comeback and aren’t we lucky! As early bulbs begin to bloom and chile starts sprout, the promise of another growing season entices us to shake the cobwebs loose from our winter’s rest and look longingly toward spring and renewal.
Rick and I have already planted our peas. Last year I blanched and flash froze what we didn’t eat fresh from our crop. The very last of the peas was used a couple of weeks ago to make creamed peas for my mother; it is one of her favorite dishes. This year we doubled our planting space for peas and I plan to allow one full row to fully mature and dry in the pod so that I can make this traditional Lenten dish with ingredients from my own homegrown crop: Alverjon Maduro.
I learned how to make this dish watching and helping my grandmother in the kitchen. Cooking during Lent took on a much more serious tone because the dishes made during Holy Week were only made once a year. I always looked forward to the season as the traditional Lenten meals were rare and delicious treats. I had to pay close attention for years and over time I learned to make these special foods like torta de huevo (egg fritters), panocha (sprouted wheat pudding) and this favorite, Alverjon Maduro (whole, dried peas). Not only is it delicious; the soup is high in fiber, lowers cholesterol and also helps prevent heart disease. This soup is traditionally served with red chile and is a powerhouse of flavor. Don’t be too heavy handed with the red chile as it can easily dominate the flavor of the soup.
I used garden tomatoes that I blanched, peeled and froze last fall but you can use whole peeled tomatoes from a can or blanch and peel fresh ones.
1 ½ cups whole dried peas
½ large onion, chopped & divided
4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 tomatoes, peeled & chopped
4 cloves garlic, divided
4 cups cold water
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Rinse peas well and place in small bowl with fresh, cold water to cover. Set aside.
In a pressure cooker, heat 2 Tbsps. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add half the onions and sauté until transparent than add the peas in its water, 2 whole garlic cloves and the additional water. Cover, seal and bring up to temperature over high heat. When pressure is reached, place weight, reduce flame to medium low and time for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a deep pot heat the rest of the olive oil over a medium flame and sauté remaining onions seasoned lightly with a pinch of salt. When the onions are transparent, add the tomatoes in their juice and the rest of the garlic minced. When it reaches boiling point, reduce heat to low and simmer gently while peas finish cooking. Add the peas & its liquid to the pot after depressurizing and add salt and pepper. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for another 5-7 minutes or until peas are tender.
*Serve warm with a red chile garnish.
*See Red Chile Garnish from April 2, 2020 Los Alamos Daily Post column (link) Red Chile from Pods (substitute water for chicken broth if making vegan chile).
Makes 6 servings.
Note: If you do not want to use a pressure cooker, you can simmer the peas in a pot with the lid slightly tilted to allow steam to escape. Have a tea kettle with boiling water ready to add additional water as needed. The peas will take about 75 minutes to cook on the stovetop.
