This quick and creamy dairy-free pea soup is like spring in a bowl—but you can make it all year-round. This Whole30-compatible soup combines fresh or frozen peas, soaked cashews for decadent creaminess, and fresh mint and lemon juice for an extra zing!
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My fresh take on a split pea soup recipe!
Unlike a hearty split pea soup where the green split peas needs to be simmered for hours on the stove top with a leftover ham bone or hocks, this fresh and fast pea soup can be made in a jiffy with items in your pantry and freezer. Better yet, you can add the same smoky flavor from a ham hock by topping each bowl of soup with a crispy prosciutto chip!
Are peas paleo?
Who cares? In all seriousness, some paleo purists will tell you that peas are legumes, and are not technically allowed under “THE PALEO DIET.” I say: do what works best for you! I eat peas because I love how they taste, and they’re packed with vitamins and nutrients. Besides, if peas are the worst thing you’re eating, you’re doing just fine, people. In fact, you can read why the Whole30 added peas back into their program in 2020 after reviewing the latest science and clinical research in this article.
But you do you. If you want a recipe for another veggie-packed vibrant green soup without peas, feel free to make my Instant Pot Green Soup with Tangy Cashew Cream from page 54 of our green cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!
Can you make this a vegan pea soup?
Definitely! The two swaps you need to make are to use a high-quality vegetable stock in place of chicken broth and to use plantain strips or chips in place of the crispy prosciutto chips. Easy peasy!
Tips for a silky, bright green soup!
- Don’t simmer too long! If you simmer the peas too long in the soup, their color will turn from bright green to swampy green. It won’t affect the taste of the soup, but your kiddos may turn up their noses at it.
- Add the baby spinach at the end then turn off the heat. The baby spinach will add an extra pop of bright green to the soup, but make sure to turn off the heat as soon as the leaves are wilted to preserve the color.
- Use a Vitamix or high-speed blender. I know there’s less clean-up if you blitz the pea soup with an immersion blender but if you want a truly super smooth green soup, you need to break out a high-powered blender. The choice is yours, but there’s a big difference in texture and appearance when you use a Vitamix.
Ingredients
- Frozen or fresh green peas: Obviously, if you can find freshly picked green peas you should use them. Otherwise, grab a bag of frozen peas, and you’re good to go!
- Raw cashews: Soaked raw cashews are added to this blended soup to impart creaminess without dairy. If you have a nut allergy, you can leave out the cashews and the soup will still taste great. (A splash of coconut milk at the end can also add creaminess but the flavor may be overpowering to some folks.)
- Shallots: I love using shallots for this dish because of their mild flavor. If you don’t have any, substitute a cup of chopped onions or leeks.
- Garlic: I suggest three cloves, but you can use your heart as your guide on this one.
- Baby spinach: It adds extra nutrients, and boosts the vibrant green color of the soup.
- Extra virgin olive oil: For sautéing the shallots and drizzling on top for added richness.
- Chicken or vegetable broth: I like to use Roli Roti chicken bone broth for this soup. You can also use a high quality vegetable broth if you want to make this soup vegan.
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Fresh mint: I love pairing fresh mint with green peas, but feel free to sub other fresh herbs like thyme or chervil.
- Fresh lemon juice: I like to add a splash of lemon juice to add brightness and acidity to this pea soup.
- Crispy prosciutto (optional): Porkitos add crunch, salt, and porky goodness. Substitute plantain strips or chips if you’re vegan.
How to make pea soup
Boil 2 cups of water. (I like using my Breville kettle because it boils water in minutes!) Place the raw cashews in a bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Soak the cashews in the boiling water for at least 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. (Psst! Soaking cashews is the longest step, so do it as soon as you can to minimize the wait time.)
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom large pot over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the extra virgin olive oil and the shallots.
Add a sprinkle of salt and sauté the shallots, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly softened.
Toss in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the peas (no need to thaw ’em if they’re frozen) and pour in the broth. Increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer for one minute or until the peas are bright green and tender.
Stir in the baby spinach and turn off the heat.
Sample the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour half the soup in a high powered blender and add all the mint and half of the drained cashews. Make sure you don’t fill the blender more than halfway full and that the lid has a hole in it so pressure doesn’t build up.
Purée the soup with a vented lid covered with a clean kitchen towel, slowly and gradually increasing the blender’s speed to avoid any hot liquid explosions. A hot soup volcano is always bad news!
Transfer the remaining unblended soup from the pot to a large measuring cup or bowl. Pour the blended soup into the now empty pot.
Then, blitz the rest of the soup and drained cashews until smooth. Add the puréed soup to the pot with the first batch of blended soup.
Pour in the lemon juice and stir well to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust with extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with extra virgin olive oil and top with half of a crispy prosciutto chip, if desired. Enjoy!
How to store pea soup
You can store the pea soup in the fridge for up to four days or you can freeze it for up to four months. If the soup separates when you reheat it, simply blend it with an immersion blender to make it uniform. Pro tip: this soup tastes great hot or cold so there’s no need to heat it up if you’re running late!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Pea Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling on top at the end
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen green peas
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups baby spinach packed
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 Porkitos optional
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water. Place the raw cashews in a bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Soak the cashews in the boiling water for at least 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over medium. When the pan is hot, add the extra virgin olive oil and the shallots.
- Add a sprinkle of salt and sauté the shallots, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Toss in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the peas (no need to thaw ’em if they’re frozen) and pour in the broth. Increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer for one minute or until the peas are bright green and tender.
- Stir in the baby spinach and turn off the heat. Sample the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour half the soup in a high powered blender and add all the mint and half of the drained cashews. Make sure you don’t fill the blender more than halfway full and that the lid has a hole in it so pressure doesn’t build up. Purée the soup with a vented lid covered with a clean kitchen towel, slowly and gradually increasing the blender’s speed to avoid any hot liquid explosions.
- Transfer the remaining unblended soup from the pot to a large measuring cup or bowl. Pour the blended soup into the now empty pot.
- Then, blitz the rest of the soup and drained cashews until smooth. Add the puréed soup to the pot with the first batch of blended soup.
- Pour in the lemon juice and stir well to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust with extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with extra virgin olive oil and top with half of a crispy prosciutto chip, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Soaking cashews is the longest step, so do it as soon as you can to minimize the wait time!
- Wanna make this soup vegan? Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and use plantain chips in place of crispy prosciutto chips.
- You can store the pea soup in the fridge for up to four days or you can freeze it for up to four months. If the soup separates when you reheat it, simply blend it with an immersion blender to make it uniform.
- Pro tip: this soup tastes great hot or cold so there’s no need to heat it up if you’re running late!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fresh, local asparagus just hit our local markets, so I decided to make this with blanched asparagus instead of peas. Substituted a fistful of fresh chives uncooked in the blender with the mint at the end instead of shallots since the garden is on fire (figuratively, thankfully) and shallots don’t sit well with me. I didn’t bother to heat the broth, just wilted the spinach with the garlic and threw everything in the blender in a couple of batches. It turned out smashingly. Thanks for the recipe!
It sounds great with asparagus!