Preparation

In a large pot over medium-high heat warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften but do not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir continuously for 1 minute longer.

Add the broth, peas, parsley, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until the peas and carrots are tender.

Turn off the heat and add the chèvre. If you have an immersion (stick) blender, use it to blend the soup until smooth right in the pot. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool slightly, then transfer it to a blender and process until smooth. Please note: Adding hot items to a blender causes the pressure to expand and can blow off the lid so hold it firmly in place and blend on low.

If adding the sausage, brown it in a small skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon until cooked through. Add the cooked sausage to the soup and stir to combine. If the soup is too thick thin with a little water (I added 1/2 cup).

If not adding the sausage, taste the soup and add salt and pepper, if needed, or additional chèvre.

Ladle into soup bowls and garish with parley and homemade croutons, if desired.

Elyse Kopecky is a whole foods chef currently co-authoring a cookbook for runners, Run Fast Eat Slow, with Olympic marathoner and longtime friend, Shalane Flanagan. After 10 years working for Nike and EA Sports, Elyse decided to pursue her passion for talking and writing about food. She went to NYC to study culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute and has taken cooking classes throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Sign-up for sneak peeks of Shalane and Elyse’s book at runfasteatslow.com or follow along @ElyseKopecky.