Green Pea & Asparagus Soup with Feta, Mint & Pita Croutons
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Welcome spring with a bowl of this vibrant green pea and asparagus soup topped with feta cheese and pita croutons—just perfect, whether you enjoy it hot or chilled!
Isn’t it true that sometimes the best dishes are born from needing to use up what’s in the fridge or what’s growing in the garden? This spring soup came together just like that. I had a bunch of asparagus on my countertop, a bag of peas in my freezer, and mint practically taking over my backyard, so I thought, why not? To give it a Mediterranean twist, I added feta cheese and pita croutons, which add a tangy flavor and delicious crunch to every spoonful. The soup is great hot, but you’ve got to try it chilled—the leftovers are even better that way!
What You’ll Need To Make Green Pea & Asparagus Soup
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the onions in olive oil until soft and translucent.
Add 2-1/4 cups of the frozen peas, the asparagus, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Then add 1/3 cup of the feta, the mint, honey, and fresh lemon juice.
Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until almost smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, then stir in the remaining frozen peas and heat until warmed through.
For the croutons, combine the olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
Toss with the chopped pita bread, then bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with remaining feta, more mint, and pita croutons.
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Green Pea & Asparagus Soup with Feta, Mint & Pita Croutons
Welcome spring with a bowl of this vibrant green pea and asparagus soup topped with feta cheese and pita croutons—just perfect, whether you enjoy it hot or chilled!
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 2¾ cups frozen green peas, divided
- 1 bunch (about 1 pound) asparagus, trimmed and chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Heaping ½ cup (3 ounces) feta, divided
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
For the Pita Croutons
- 1 large pita, split open and cut into ½-inch squares
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes.
- Add 2¼ cup of the peas, the asparagus, chicken broth, salt and pepper; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.
- Add the honey, ⅓ cup of the feta, lemon juice and mint. Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth (it's okay to leave it a bit chunky if you like). If you don't have an immersion blender, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and more lemon if desired.
- Add the remaining ½ cup of frozen peas and simmer until warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining feta, mint and pita croutons. Serve hot or cold.
For Pita Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and salt. Place the pita bread on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the seasoned olive over top and toss until evenly coated. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen (without the garnishes) for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 289
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Sugar: 11g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 12g
- Sodium: 853mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
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.
OMG this soup is AWESOME and so easy. I did end up adding a little milk, blitzing in the vitamix, straining it and finally adding extra peas in. Jenn Segal, you are a genius! I love all your recipes.
💗
One thing I was wondering, what do you consider a serving size for this soup?
Hi Carole, I haven’t made this in a long time so it’s hard to recall. Also, the fact that it’s pureed adds an additional challenge in calculating it! That said, I’d guesstimate that based on 6 servings it would be about 1.5 cups.
Made this soup tonite, absolutely delicious. Was skeptical about the mint but we just gobbled it down. Served with Italian bread, so good and easy to make.
I have made the asparagus and pea soup before and it is delicious as written. I’d like to make it this evening but I don’t have any fresh mint. Can dry mint be used in the recipe?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried it but, in a pinch, I think it’ll work. Please LMK how it turns out!
I make a lot of different soups, but this might be my favorite one. The feta, mint and a touch of honey really come through and make this delicious. Don’t forget the pita croutons, they make this soup unforgettable. Thanks Jen for another great recipe!
This soup is insanely good. Honestly, I think of it as heralding the arrival of spring in my household…a VERY anticipated event. We have a large garden & some of the earliest produce are asparagus & green peas, so I’ve made plenty of spring pea soups in the past, but the addition of feta & mint take this recipe over the top-
Delicious soup, one of my favorites from this site. Then again, I love asparagus. My husband likes it, too, but my kid won’t eat it. He loves the garlic pita croutons, though 🙂
Wow, this is a perfect spring soup. Just amazing!
I had it on my “to make” list, never expected it to taste that good, yet be so easy.
We already had a bag of store bought pita chips, which made it even easier.
Thanks Jenn! Please keep up the great work you do!
Quality home cooking has never been so important.
Love this soup….made it many times….will be serving it for Easter Dinner…..how far in-advance can I prepare the Pita Croutons?
Hi Elaine, I’d say 2 to 3 days in advance if you store in an airtight container. 🙂
I really enjoyed this soup. I usually make a version with spinach and peas and mint and cream. This was another great version and tastes completely different, so its good for the repertoire.
Make sure you follow directions and add the mint at the end, or it gets bitter…I didn’t do the croutons, but I am sure it adds a great texture!