April 21, 2015
(last updated January 30, 2021) 
It’s pea season these days, and I couldn’t be happier about. I love green peas, in just about anything and everything. I love green pea guac for its lightness and texture. I love throwing peas into parsnip rice or quinoa. And lord knows I love green pea hummus–so much that a variation of this recipe ended up in my first cookbook. My latest favorite, though, is this silky vegan minted pea soup with cashew cream. It’s simple, elegant, and a perfect way to celebrate the season.
Part of what I love about the soup is its simplicity: a quick sauté of spring onions and shallots, the addition of peas, and then a spin in the blender. That’s pretty much all it takes to get the soup on the table. My cashew cream helps to give the soup some creaminess and richness, and you can use extra for swirling and garnish. If you’re allergic to cashews (or you don’t have time to make cashew cream), you could try coconut milk or soy milk in the soup instead.
I could have multiplied the herbs in the soup (it’s tempting, with so many fresh herbs popping up at the market), but I think that sticking to mint and parsley allows for bright, clean flavor. You can add extra flavor by using chives as a garnish, or you can use microgreens or pea tendrils instead. Both make for a lovely presentation!
Minted Pea Soup with Cashew Cream
Author -Yields: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 spring onion chopped (or 1 small white onion, chopped)
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 6 cups frozen thawed green peas
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup cashew cream plus extra for swirling/garnish
- Optional: 1/4 cup microgreens pea tendrils, or snipped chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and shallots. Cook until the onions are clear and soft (about 5 minutes). Add the salt, pepper and broth, and bring the broth to a simmer. Add the peas. Simmer the peas for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the peas to a blender. Add the mint and parsley. Blend the soup until it's silky smooth.
- Transfer the soup back to the pot. Stir in the cashew cream. Check the seasonings and adjust to taste. If the soup is a little too thick for your liking, add a splash of additional vegetable broth.
- Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of chives and a little swirl of extra cashew cream. Serve.
The first time I made this soup, I served it as an appetizer. Steven and I were having family over, and it was a hit. If I were enjoying it for lunch or dinner, I’d pair it with a grain or legume salad, a farro or rice risotto, or perhaps a grilled tofu + roasted veggie dinner. No matter how you’d like to serve the soup, I hope you’ll have a chance to savor it before pea season is behind us. If you try it, let me know what you think!
On that note, I wish you all a great Tuesday. I’ll see you soon, with a new breakfast recipe in hand.
xo
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Visit my privacy policy to learn more.
Categories: Soups
Method: Blender
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Quick & Easy
Method: Blender
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Quick & Easy
Leave a Comment
I made this today and it was fantastic. A friend of mine mentioned that she had just made pea soup with ham and I remembered that from my old way of cooking as it needed the ham that way. So I made the cashew cream but it wasn’t needed. The soup was so good. I used the 1/2 cup of mint and substituted cilantro for the parsley. I also added 2 carrots with the sweet onion and shallots. Love this healthy recipe and with the herbs you don’t need the ham or any fat really. I added maple syrup to the cashew cream and will use the leftover in vegetable salad. Thanks for this great recipe.
Mint with peas, never thought of that combo but it sounds great! I am going to give this a try.
I have been on a soup grave lately, this is a must try recipe!
thank you 🙂
Looks so green, i must ty it. Thanks for sharing
This looks lovely! I love my greens. Never had cashew cream before, I must try it. Thanks Gena!
This soup screams SPRING! I am so excited to make this and dig into its bright and fresh flavors.
I just made this soup and it turned out fantastic. The cashew cream give it such a nice flavour. Thank you for the recepie ! I don’t have such nice bowls though hehe 🙂
Sounds lovely & looks so pretty and spring-like. Frozen peas are good, but I’m hoping to see fresh peas sometime soon at the market (they come out for a very short period of time sometime soon!) and I happen to have some fresh mint in the fridge =)
These bowls are adorable! I can’t wait to try this recipe! 🙂
This looks so tasty! Can’t wait to make it 🙂
This looks amazingly good, gorgeous pics. The color is so vibrant, thanks!
That’s a stunning bowl of soup! And that swirl on top is so perfectly done!
Peas AND cashew cream?? I’m in. By the way, you have so inspired me on my journey of healthy eating — and getting me to dive into the world of raw and vegan cooking — that I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog award (nomination post here: http://healthylittlechanges.com/2015/04/21/a-blog-award-plus-my-10-favorites/). Thank you for inspiring me and sharing such mouth-watering recipes!!
Lindsay, I’m so touched and flattered! Thank you!
So pretty! I am guilty of under-using peas. I do like them, but am mostly bewildered as to how to eat them beyond plain. This looks very special but so easy though.
And that bowl!
With this recipe, you settled an ongoing debate in my relationship: that peas and mint go together. The beau makes fun of me SO hard for suggesting this combo and I kept telling him I was right.
Definitely making this next week to prove how delish these two flavors can be!
i am weeping. bookmarked and as soon it stops hailing in hamilton, i’m making this. xxxx
That is the most perfect white swirl on top of soup I’ve ever seen! 🙂
Yes to peas! This looks just perfect and I’m loving the soup bowl almost as much as its contents.
Beautiful swirling action too 😉