Easy Pea Soup Recipe (with frozen or fresh peas)
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If you’re searching for a quick and flavor-packed soup you can make on a whim, this pea soup checks all your boxes. This is what I serve when I haven’t prepared anything for dinner, but still want something tasty. Made from staple ingredients and a foolproof method, dinner is served in just 15 minutes. Plus, I’ll share five tips for pea soup perfection!
This pea soup is bursting with fresh pea flavor—even though I usually make it with frozen peas. It’s light, bright, and perfect for spring or summer, whether served warm or chilled. Best of all, it comes together fast; if you’re hungry now, you’ll be sitting down to a bowl of soup in about 15 minutes.
I love how simple this soup is, too. A handful of ingredients, one pot, and a quick blend are all it takes to turn a bag of peas into something that feels fresh and special. It’s the kind of recipe I reach for when I want maximum payoff with minimal effort.
Ingredients to gather
This pea soup recipe is the sort of thing that you can make out of nothing – when the fridge is empty, reach for a bag of frozen peas, and a few other staples you always have on hand. This is what you need:
- Peas: Fresh or frozen work!
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic add depth of flavor.
- Spinach: Again, you can use fresh or frozen! Whatever you have on hand.
- Stock: I use homemade chicken stock or beef stock, but you can use store-bought bone broth, too. Vegetable broth works too, but you may want to add a bit more salt.
- Other staples: Butter, fresh thyme, yogurt or sour cream, and sea salt to taste.
Why frozen peas?
Frozen peas are super convenient. We always have a bag of them in our freezer. The key advantage of peas is that they retain most of their fresh taste even when frozen.
Once they’re blended into this soup, all you will taste is delicious, fresh peas. You’ll never know the soup is made with frozen peas.
If you have fresh peas on hand, you can absolutely use them. Simmer the peas in the stock for 5 minutes to cook them.
Tips for making green pea soup
This soup is so easy-pea-sy to make, that you barely need tips for it. However, even the most simple of recipes can shine when crafted mindfully. Here are some tips to remember:
- Simmer gently: Boiling peas for too long will overcook them – for the most vibrant pea soup, let them simmer until just tender.
- Fresh or frozen: On that note, the use of fresh or frozen peas will adjust your cooking time. Remember to warm the peas until they start to simmer – it’ll be around just five minutes for fresh peas.
- Stock matters: Since the bulk of this soup is liquid, the stock you use will play a role in the result. If you’re using store-bought stock, a bone broth is the way to add the most flavor.
- Season gradually: Taste your soup, then adjust the seasoning accordingly. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s in there!
What to serve with green pea soup
Serving this soup on its own is ideal for lunch. It’s light, fresh, and won’t leave you feeling heavy. If you’re serving this for dinner, add a slice of our no yeast bread with herbs and cheese or our whole wheat Irish soda bread to make it a little more filling.
Easy Pea Soup Recipe (with frozen or fresh peas)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 6 cups frozen or fresh peas
- 2 ½ ounces fresh or frozen spinach
- 4 cups stock (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- Optional: ½ cup yogurt or sour cream
- Sea salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is transparent, about 3 minutes.1 tablespoon butter, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the peas, spinach, stock, and thyme and bring nearly to a simmer. (If you are using fresh peas, simmer for 5 minutes.)6 cups frozen or fresh peas, 2 ½ ounces fresh or frozen spinach, 4 cups stock, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in 2 batches in a regular blender. Return the soup to the heat and warm through. If using, add the yogurt then season to taste with salt.Optional: ½ cup yogurt or sour cream, Sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Variations to try
Green pea soup is so versatile – it’s easy to adjust the flavors according to what’s left in the fridge or what you’re craving. Here are some of my favorite variations:
- Citrus boost: Add a squeeze of lemon to brighten things up.
- Pesto swirl: Dollop in some green pesto to add a yummy twist.
- Fresh mint: I have to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of mint ever, but for some reason I just LOVE it in a pea soup. You only need a small amount, and it blends right in. It’s not super minty, but it adds a herbaceous freshness that makes the soup shine.
- Herb boost: On that note, you can add any herb! A bit of basil or parsley works well, too.
- Toppings: Add some croutons or crispy bacon bits on top for extra texture. Some shaved parmesan is a yummy topping, too.
- Pea and potato: If you want a heartier soup you can add cubed potatoes to step 2, when you add the peas. They’ll soften up, and blend out to be creamy.
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This soup was very enjoyable. I used the immersion blender and had trouble with some peas wanting to stay at the top. I think I’ll try the blender next time. I liked how quick this was to make. I’m going to try freezing some for my school lunches. I don’t have enough experience to know whether it will hold it’s flavour.
Delicious and so simple. I amped up the presentation for fun – took store-bought thin breadsticks, brushed them with softened butter then chilled them and wrapped each with a slice of prosciutto. Laid one across each bowl. The chilled butter helps the thin slice of ham stick to the breadstick. The bit of salty ham and the crunch is perfect with this soup served chilled. Next time I’’m going to add a hint of wasabi to the soup. Just a hint…..
Thanks for this— just easy enough to whip up after an exhausting day! Have you tried freezing leftovers? How does that turn out?
We haven’t tested it but I don’t see any reason that it wouldn’t freeze well. If you give it a go, let us know how it turns out!
Excellent
Great basic and quick recipe. I used probiotic cream cheese instead of sour cream and kale instead of spinach (all I had). I also added about 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, a bit of salt and pepper, and a dash of paprika. With those modifications this was very flavorful and balanced. My husband asked me to add this to our meal rotation list!
Very refreshing, simple to make. New family favorite!
Excellent soup just what you need as a comfort soup after a dismal long drive – all ingredients in house already!
I have made with alternatives to thyme, mint gives a spring like taste, curry a warming one
I thought it was really good. Very simple and delicious!
Just wondering, can you use slit peas to make this pea soup? Thank you!
No split peas are very different. Fresh or frozen work!
I used a ricotta to thicken and added a bit more garlic and some cracked black pepper and it came out delicious!
This was delicious, thank you!
Such a good recipe – I’m pregnant and have been craving this to made it today and wow did it hit the spot!
After it’s done I will add chunks of ham
Great idea!
This was perfect. Quick, easy, and tasty. Would make it again.
This recipe is okay for what it is. It tasted more complex with a splash of liquid smoke, and I think maybe if it were thickened with some potatoes or something it could be heartier. But as a basic, quick soup it’s quite nice.
Hi Kristen, This pea soup looks and sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Karen! I hope that you love it as much as we do!