Creamy Pea Soup with Bacon and Pesto

This is a rich and hearty soup recipe that will keep you warm in the winter months but is fresh and quick enough to be a welcome meal in summer and spring.

If you love soups, this is definitely worth your time to try sometime soon.

I have been making this soup since I was a teenager! It has always been a hit with anyone who has tried it! The leftovers (if there are any) store well in the freezer. I love to have this soup with freshly baked bread like my garlic knots. Make a simple pesto and cheese toasted sandwich with to dip into it for an extra special treat.

Ingredients and substitution

Butter – I use salted butter but feel free to use unsalted if you prefer. Butter can also be substituted for cooking oil if you are dairy free.

Red onions – you can easily substitute the 2 small red onions for a large brown onion if that’s what you have on hand. Both options are great

Bacon –  the bacon gives this soup a sweet salty flavour. If you remove the bacon then you will definitely need to add in a little extra salt but the soup will still come out great especially if you want a vegetarian option.

Mushrooms – totally necessary here as they add a rich earthy flavour. I usually use button mushrooms. Swap out the 4 mushrooms for one large portabello mushroom to really boost that earthy flavour. If you really hate mushrooms then you can skip or reduce them to suit your preferences.

Vegetable stock – I make mine up using stock cubes but you can definitely use home made or cartoned. Swaping the veggie stock out for chicken stock is also a great option. This makes a thick, rich soup feel free to add more stock if you prefer thinner soups.

Peas – use frozen baby peas, no need to defrost. You can substitute for the regular or minted peas but I do find that the baby peas work the best.

Cream – I use heavy cream for this to make it a rich and creamy soup. You can simply leave it out if you are dairy free or you can substitute with coconut cream. Just note that changing to coconut cream will alter the flavour of the soup more that simply excluding the cream.

Pesto – I add store brought chunky pesto after blending this soup to give it back a little texture. Feel free to use homemade or if you don’t have any on hand you can ramp up the flavour of your soup with 2 tsp crushed garlic 2 tsp herbs and 1 heaped tsp of nuts (walnuts or cashews work well). If you make this switch then add in the ingredients before blitzing.

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, scoop cold soup into a snaplock sandwich bags, removing all of the air, before sealing shut. Lay flat to freeze . This soup will last up to three months in the freezer.

Pea soup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 bowls

Course: Soup

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 30 grams butter
• 2 small red onions diced
• 100 grams bacon roughly roughly chopped
• 4 large mushrooms diiced
• 500 grams frozen baby peas
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto heaped
• Salt and pepper as needed

Method

 

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan on a medium high heat.
2. Add in the onions and cook through until lightly browned.
3. Place the bacon into your saucepan and cook through for a minute before adding the mushrooms. Cook together, stirring regularly until the mushrooms are tender and the bacon is crispy.
4. Pour your vegetable stock and frozen peas on top of your cooked ingredients.
5. Bring your pot to a simmer before you reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes, once the peas are tender remove your saucepan from the heat.
6. Use a stick blender and blitz the soup until it reaches a smooth consistency.
7. Add in the cream and pesto, mix well.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve in bowls with an extra teaspoon of pesto and a drizzle of cream if desired.

Heres something else you may like to try:

Tomato Soup with Roasted Vegetables Garlic Knots Trio of flatbreads