Green Pea Soup
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This light and flavorful pea soup, made with sweet peas and fresh basil, comes together in 35 minutes—perfect for a quick, delicious meal any time of year.
Most pea soups, like my traditional split pea soup, are made from dried peas and flavored with a ham bone, making them hearty and rich. This pea soup recipe is entirely different. Made with sweet peas (frozen, so it can be made year-round), fresh basil, lime, and vegetable broth, it’s light, bright and flavorful. The soup is delicious hot or cold and makes a satisfying light meal with some crusty bread.
Table of Contents
“Outstanding! We were licking our bowls!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Green Pea Soup
- Olive Oil: Adds a rich, smooth base for sautéing the shallots, enhancing the overall depth of flavor in the soup.
- Shallots: Provide a mild, sweet onion flavor that complements the peas without overpowering them.
- Vegetable Broth: Acts as the liquid foundation, adding savory depth while keeping the soup light and balanced.
- Frozen Peas: The star of the soup, giving it a bright, fresh flavor and vibrant green color.
- Salt & Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the natural sweetness of the peas and bring balance to the dish.
- Fresh Basil: Adds a fragrant, herbaceous note that pairs perfectly with the sweet peas and gives the soup a fresh finish.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds a savory, umami-rich depth to the soup, rounding out the flavors.
- Lime Juice: Brightens the soup with a touch of acidity, balancing the richness of the olive oil and cheese.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-low heat, and add the shallots.
Gently cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, peas, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and lime juice.
Purée with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. Be patient; peas take a long time to purée and you want it as smooth as possible. (If you don’t have a stick blender, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow the steam to escape and cover with a dish towel so it won’t splatter.)
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, or chill and serve cold.
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Green Pea Soup
This light and flavorful pea soup, made with sweet peas and fresh basil, comes together in 35 minutes—perfect for a quick, delicious meal any time of year.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1¼ cups roughly chopped shallots, from 3 large shallots
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 pounds (6 cups) frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and gently cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the vegetable broth, peas, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, then add the basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and lime juice. Purée with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. Be patient; you want it as smooth as possible. (If you don’t have a stick blender, let the soup cool slightly and purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow the steam to escape and cover with a dish towel so it won't splatter.) Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with more basil, if desired. (Alternatively, chill the soup and serve cold.)
- Note: This soup will thicken as it cools. If necessary, add a bit of water to thin to desired consistency.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 217
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 634 mg
- Cholesterol: 2 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This worked perfectly. I substituted a large white onion for the shallots and used 2 stock cubes with about 1 litre water. Delicious. Look forward to trying with Mint as suggested on another comment. Thanks from Edinburgh.
Martin
So easy, bright and fresh! Thank you, Jenn!
We are currently in a heat spell, so I made this delicious soup yesterday and refrigerated it overnight. Today, I chilled my soup bowls in the freezer for half an hour prior to portioning this soup. It was terrific: light, refreshing, and so flavourful.
This recipe is a keeper! Thank you, Jennifer.
I made this last night – it’s wonderful. Bright, refreshing – all the things a summer soup should be. And because I’m a total hedonist I served it with some crispy crumbled bacon and homemade sourdough croutons on top. 😉 Thanks for another winner, Jenn!
Made this soup for the first time for my vegetarian daughter, it was so yummy and delicious.This will be made again , so easy .
I have made this soup twice. Once exactly as written and once using mint instead of the basil as I had mint and did not have basil.
Though both ways are delicious, I must say that I prefer it with the mint instead of basil. Also mint is a more spring herb and basil a summer herb.
Can this soup be made a day ahead?
Yep 👍
Just made this soup exactly as written and Hubby and myself liked very much. The only thing I would do different is to cut down on the pepper just a tad. I put some in a cup and drank it while still thin enough. Keep coming with these amazing recipes. We are having the turkey, spinach & cheese meatball for lunch. My granddaughter, 5, also likes them. They are delicious.