Easy pea soup recipe with feta and fresh mint
This quick and easy pea soup uses feta and mint to make this super delicious. The original recipe is by Jamie Oliver from his book 20 minute meals. And does take not much longer to make. You use frozen green peas to make this soup.
Pea soup with feta and mint
I love all things soup. I think it is the perfect way to use up leftover vegetables and what better way to increase you vegetable intake as well? Now since this pea soup with feta is a 20 minute Jamie Oliver recipe it is super fast. Maybe not so well suited to use everything in your fridge as the frozen peas make this a super quick recipe. Adding other vegetables would still be ok to do but that will make the proces somewhat longer plus it will increase the cook time as well.
In terms of the green peas you use for this soup; you can go for fresh peas as well. They do not require all that much longer to cook.
I’ve got to say that initially the instructions from Jamie made it sound way more complicated then it actually was so I changed it around a bit to make the proces smoother and simpler.
Perfectly green
One thing I totally love about this soup is the amazing color. But on to make the soup. You start by using a large pot and placing it on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for a bit before you add the vegetable stock. You can also add chicken broth but that will obviously no longer be vegetarian. Now the key part here is to grate the potato. That will significantly reduce the time needed to cook the potato. Since you use a stick blender or food processor to puree the soup the end result will be the same. Add half of the fresh mint leaves to the soup.
You add the peas after about 10 minutes as they do not need that long to cook. While the vegetables are cooking prepare your croutons. Break up a few slices of bread into chunks and add to a small bowl. Pour a bit of olive oil over the bread. I sometimes also add parmesan cheese to the bread mix as that will give it even more flavor so that’s a great addition.
Heat a large skillet with a bit of oil and bake the croutons until they’re brown and crunchy. Leave to drain on kitchen paper while you finish the soup. Use an immersion blender to create a smooth texture of this vibrant green soup. Pour into two separate bowls and top the soup with the croutons, a splash of olive oil and the crumbled creamy feta. You need roughly 30 g feta cheese. Add some fresh herbs on top if you want too.
Storing
You can easily store the soup in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that you add the crusty bread and the feta just before serving. So you can reheat the soup on low heat and add the extra’s on top. Now if I have to choose I’d say this is more a summer soups which will be totally delicious with fresh summer peas. If you’re looking for a true winter pea soup, check out the Dutch pea soup recipe.
Additions
You can also add some crème fraîche on top of the soup to make it creamier if you want. Some added whole peas might also give it a bit more texture, although I do like the velvety smooth texture as it is.
Pea soup with feta and mint
Equipment
- large pan
Ingredients
- 1 large potato grated
- 1 sprig fresh mint
- 1 stick celery chopped
- 75 gr ciabatta or any other bread you have lying around
- 30 gr feta cheese
- 250 gr frozen peas
- 1 small onion chopped
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 50 ml double cream
- seasalt pepper, olive oil, butter and extra virgin olive oil
- Put a large deep pan on a low heat. Add a splash of olive oil and the knob of butter and leave to melt. Meanwhile peel and chop the onion. Trim and chop the celery stick.
- Add the onions to the pan followed by the rest of the vegetables, except the peas. Add the stock and stir everything through. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Pick all of the leaves from the mint sprig. Discard the stalks. Add half of the leaves to the vegetable stock. Put the rest to one side for later.
- Cut the crusts of the ciabatta and tear the bread into small bite-sized chunks. Toss these in a mixing bowl with a lug of olive oil. Add the bread to a hot griddle pan and let it toast on all sides, using tongs to turn it. Once crisp and golden turn the heat off.
- After about 10 minutes or so add the peas to the soup pan. Let it simmer so the melt and are cooked through. Stir the cream into the soup and leave for about 5 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve your soup with the crumbled feta, croutons and fresh mint.
Nutrition Information per portion
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
I totally loved the feta in this dish and the warm croutons made a big difference too. As you can see in the photos I used wholewheat bread that I still had instead of ciabatta and I found that great with the soup.
