Want something hearty and warming? Want a soup with a creamy texture? Then this easy vegan Pea and Mint Soup recipe is the answer. It’s quick, healthy, high in protein and fibre. It uses just one pan and takes 30 minutes from start to finish. This is a perfect dish to feed a hungry crowd quickly.
This is an amazing vegetable soup, thick, creamy-textured, filling and gloriously green. You really should try it.
This simple Green Pea Soup recipe uses frozen peas, (fresh peas can be used but will take longer to cook) leeks and potatoes which are chopped small to make the cooking faster. The peas give the soup its vibrant green colour and delicious sweetness. It’s a little like our Creamy Leek and Potato soup but this version doesn’t involve any milk or cream.
Features of this Pea Soup
Texture – The soup has a creamy texture because it is blended silky smooth at the end of the cooking time. If you prefer a little more texture than that, you have two options; you can reserve a few peas and then add them back into the soup and warm them slightly before serving. You can also puree about 3/4 of the soup leaving it a little more chunky.
This pea soup recipe contains potatoes so there should be no need to ask how to thicken Pea and Mint soup as it should be naturally quite thick.
Flavour – This is a delicious vegetable soup that has a sweetness to it that comes from the peas and the leeks. The mint lifts the flavour and emphasises the pea flavours. Simple but amazing.
Difficulty – This is a really easy soup to make. You don’t need any special skills. You only need to be able to chop the vegetables small to keep the cooking time short and then if you wish, puree the soup just before serving for a creamy finish. This is a recipe for a beginner cook.
Ingredients in Green Pea Soup Recipe
Everything you need is listed in the recipe below. The ingredients in this soup are pretty much everyday ingredients that you’re likely to have in the house pretty much all of the time.
- potatoes – peel and chop the potatoes into roughly 1 cm cubes. Most types of potatoes are brilliant for this soup but I’d keep new potatoes for other things.
- Tip: Dicing the potatoes small, shortens the cooking time.
- onion, garlic and leeks – These vegetables are all about adding a real depth of savoury flavour, definitely include them.
- frozen peas – The peas are the stars of the show and give the soup a glorious green colour. Frozen peas are generally frozen really quickly after picking so they’re still full of goodness. They add lots of texture and loads of vitamins, protein and fibre. Let them defrost slightly before using them in the soup to help shorten cooking times.
- vegetable stock – Vegetable stock is the liquid component of the soup and is important for flavour. Definitely use your favourite stock cubes or granules or be really brave and make your own stock. (Do you need the soup to be gluten-free? If you do check that the stock powder is gluten free. It should be on the label.)
- mint – a lovely fresh tasting herb that lifts the flavour of the soup and prevents it from being a little heavy. Always include the mint.
What mint should I use in this soup?
Fresh mint is definitely the best kind in this soup. It gives the best flavour. This fairly common herb also adds some valuable nutrition of its own. It has anti-inflammatory properties, can relieve indigestion and contains an impressive number of immune-boosting vitamins and minerals. So, fresh is good.
What type of mint though? If you grow your own, the spearmint variety is good as is black peppermint. If you are buying fresh mint from the supermarket then garden mint is probably the one on offer and will make a superb addition to this soup.
What about dried mint? If that is all you have then a teaspoon of dried mint will lift the flavour but I’ve never found that it has the same impact as the fresh kind. You could stir in a teaspoon of mint sauce instead… always taste as you go to make sure that you like the flavour it is adding.
Tips for success
The step by step guide for making this vegan green pea and mint soup recipe is detailed in the recipe below. These are just a few extra little things that may help.
- Have everything washed and ready to go before beginning to cook the soup.
- Spend a little time cutting the potatoes quite small. You’ll be rewarded by the soup taking less time to cook.
- Wash those leeks, as they’re pretty good at picking up dirt between their leaves when they’re growing. You only need to remove the dark green leaves if they’re damaged, otherwise, they’ll be good to go into the soup too. Slice the leeks up thinly to keep cooking times short.
- If you use a blender to blend the soup, it may be better and safer, to blend it in batches. Exploding soup isn’t a good thing!
- A stick blender is more than up to the job of blending this soup.
- Let the peas defrost whilst you prepare the vegetables. This just helps the soup to cook more quickly.
- Tip: the peas don’t have to be completely thawed and if you have to use them straight out of the freezer, it doesn’t really matter. It will only add a few minutes extra to the cooking time.
Variations on this Green Pea and Mint Soup Recipe
There are not a lot of variations that you can make with this recipe without turning it into something else.
This soup recipe works just as well with fresh green peas but you may need to alter the cooking times a little.
Add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast at the end of cooking time to add some valuable B12 and a little interesting umami flavour.
Ideas for Serving
Here are a few of our ideas for serving this vegetable soup.
I like to serve this simple green pean soup with Baked Garlic Croutons. These are really good when it comes to adding a little savoury, garlicky flavour and a good amount of crunch. Baked croutons are really simple to make and because they’re baked in the oven, the kitchen doesn’t have that frying smell left hanging around. By the way, try adding a few chilli pepper flakes to them. These are quite delicious with this soup.
Another favourite to eat along with soup is fresh crusty bread. Few things are better than freshly baked bread and it definitely goes well with Pea Soup.
I can’t think of any vegetable soups that don’t go well with cheese so why not sprinkle some of your favourite grated vegan cheese on top and let it melt into the hot soup? Make it special by swirling a little vegan sour cream or plain vegan yoghurt on the top. (This makes a lovely colour contrast to the vibrant green of the Pea soup itself, very pretty.
Why not sprinkle a few chopped herbs on the top? Chives and mint are quite lovely with the flavours in this soup and it looks quite awesome too.
How about a swirl of cashew cream, creme fraiche or sour cream. (There are vegan versions of creme fraiche and sour cream so you don’t always have to use vegan-friendly yoghurt.)
F.A.Q’s
This soup is naturally vegan. To serve, why not sprinkle some of your favourite vegan grated cheese on top and let it melt into the hot soup? Vegan-friendly yoghurt or sour creams are also really great additions.
Absolutely it is. The basic recipe doesn’t contain any dairy ingredients. Consider using dairy-free cheeses, yoghurts or sour cream to add a few simple little finishing touches to the soup.
Should you need to thin this Pea and Mint soup, just add a little more stock or water to the soup and stir. Always check the seasoning before serving and add more if it needs it.
Storing Vegan Pea and Mint Soup
Refrigerate
This soup will last for up to 3 days if stored in the refrigerator. To reheat it, simply warm it through in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot. If you need to thin it down a little, add a splash of water and stir.
Freeze
If you wish to freeze this soup to eat later, it is good to know that it will last for up to 6 months in suitable sealed containers in the freezer.
To eat, defrost thoroughly before heating it through on the hob until it is piping hot. Stir the soup whilst heating it, to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Serve in your favourite way and enjoy!
I’d love to know – What’s your favourite soup?
If you like this… then you may like to try these too
- Spicy Tomato and Chilli Soup
- Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower soup
- Spicy Red Lentil Soup
- Pumpkin Soup
- Leek and Potato Soup
- Simple Corn Chowder Recipe
- Creamy Tomato Soup
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Easy Vegan Pean and Mint Soup Recipe
Equipment
- stick blender
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 onion brown, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely diced
- 3 1/2 cups leeks washed and finely sliced
- 2 1/2 cups potatoes finely diced
- 3 1/2 cups peas frozen, slightly defrosted
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- a couple of mint sprigs about 6 sprigs
Instructions
- Prepare the mint by washing over the leaves. Strip the leaves of the stalks and discard any really tough stalks.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, leeks and the garlic. Heat the oil in a fairly large saucepan.
- Add the onion, finely chopped leeks and garlic to the pan and stir fry for a minute or two.
- Add the chopped potato. The soup will cook more quickly if it has been diced quite small.
- Add the stock and cook on the hob for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Put a portion of some of the peas to one side (to add back in once the soup has been blended for texture) and add the rest to the saucepan. Add in the fresh mint leaves. Stir and bring back to the boil.
- Turn it down to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Blend the soup with the stick blender or blend in batches in a blender. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Allow the soup to stand for a it a minute or so, for the peas to heat through and then serve your soup. Enjoy!
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
- Add Baked Garlic Croutons. These are really good when it comes to adding a little flavour and a good amount of crunch. Baked croutons are really simple to make and because they’re baked in the oven, the kitchen doesn’t have that frying smell left hanging around. By the way, try adding a few chilli pepper flakes to them. These are quite delicious with this soup.
- Fresh crusty bread? Few things are better than freshly baked bread.
- Sprinkle some of your favourite (vegan) grated cheese on top and let it melt into the hot soup.
- Make it special by swirling a little vegan sour cream or plain plant-based yoghurt (oat yoghurt is nice) on the top. This makes a lovely colour contrast to the vibrant green of the Pea soup itself.
- Sprinkle a few extra chopped herbs such as mint or chives on the top. Looks pretty and tastes pretty good too.
Storing Vegan Pea and Mint Soup
Refrigerate
This soup will last for up to 3 days if stored in the refrigerator. To reheat it, simply warm it through in a pan or in the microwave until piping hot. If you need to thin it down a little, add a splash of water and stir.Freeze
If you wish to freeze this soup to eat later, it is good to know that it will last for up to 6 months in suitable sealed containers in the freezer. To eat, defrost thoroughly before heating it through on the hob until it is piping hot. Stir the soup whilst heating it, to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Serve in your favourite way and enjoy!Nutrition
Why not Pin this Vegan Pea and Mint Soup Recipe for later?
Yummm! Sounds delish! I love just about all soups so I’ll definitely try this one day!
Thank you, Sara. If you do get to try it I think you’ll love it.
I’m a huge fan of any velvety soup, I find them a great dinner-saving idea. I didn’t know they can freeze that long. It will be my salvation to prepare in advance when I am very busy 😃
I hope you do get to try it. It’s quite filling which makes it a lifesaver on hungry days
This soup sounds so amazing and I love that you can freeze it! I’m definitely making a big batch so I can have some in the freezer too!
It is very nice, we eat it quite often. Goes really well with crusty bread and a little mint. I hope you love it too.
This looks absolutely gorgeous! I cant wait to make it.
I hope you try it. It has a reasonable amount of protein from the peas and is really filling. Love it best with the mint though.
It’s rainy season here so I always look for a warm and comforting soup. Glad that this is vegan 🙂 thanks for sharing
This would be a great soup for when it’s wet and wild out there… a comforting bowl.
Your recipe does not mention how much or what stock to use, nor does to mention what to do with the leeks?
Apologies Jonathan. I’ve amended the recipe now to include these details. Thank you for letting me know.