A creamy vegan pea soup with a cheesy flavour (but not cheese)! Easy to make and ready in 20 minutes.
I have been obsessed with pea soup this past month, thanks to a friend introducing me to a simple recipe from Covent Garden.
I think I've made that recipe about four times this month.
But since I can't leave a recipe alone, I've developed it into something even more delicious (if I may say so) by giving it a creamy, "cheesy" element and adding some yummy roasted peas as croutons.
I feel like I could live on this soup. I basically have been living on this soup.
Side note: Anyone else a Fast Show fan? This recipe made me think of this sketch!
The "cheesy" flavour comes from the mixture of cashews and nutritional yeast.
I also strongly suggest a small amount of miso paste which really helps give that fermented cheese flavour but you can definitely go without.
Or you can use a small amount of soy / tamari sauce instead.
If you don't know what nutritional yeast is and think it sounds gross, I promise it tastes so good and you'll want to add it to everything!
It's a deactivated yeast (suitable for yeast-free diets) that has a naturally cheesy flavour when added to foods.
Plus, it's got lot's of nutritional goodness too. You can find it online or in health food shops.
The result is a velvet-y smooth soup that's sweet, salty, cheesy and ridiculously moreish. I love the the contrast of the smooth soup and crunchy pea croutons.
The "croutons" are simply just roasted peas. Cooked until crisp and crunchy with some extra nutritional yeast. Delicious!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Pea Soup
A deliciously-moreish and velvety smooth green soup that is both easy and healthy.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
- 1 leek, roughly chopped
- 450 g / 3 cups frozen peas
- 840 ml / 3 ½ cups vegetable stock
- optional ½ tsp miso paste*
- ⅓ cup cashews, soaked for at least an hour in water
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the crunchy pea croutons
- 150 g / 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Extra nutritional yeast or grated vegan cheese
Instructions
To make the soup
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onions and garlic, until softened. Add the chopped leek and celery and cook for a further couple of minutes.
- Stir in the peas and add the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the mixture to a blender, along with the miso (if using*), cashews and nutritional yeast.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.
To make the crunchy pea croutons
- Preheat the oven to 200C and add the ingredients to a small bowl. Mix until well combined and the nutritional yeast has dissolved into the oil, coating the peas.
- Transfer to a baking tray and roast for approximately 20-25 minutes, shaking the tray every now and then to ensure even roasting. Once they are crispy and golden, they are ready!
To serve
- Ladel the soup into bowls and top with the crispy pea croutons and (optional) grated vegan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
*The miso paste helps contribute to the "cheesy" flavour but it can be quite expensive - don't worry though it's not crucial to the recipe. You can also try adding a teaspoon of soy sauce or tamari sauce to give a similar flavour.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 238Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 679mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 8gSugar 8gProtein 13g
Sophia says
I'm making this right now. I see the directions say to saute the onions and garlic, but I don't see garlic on the ingredients list. For now I'm using 1 clove, chopped. Could you tell me how much to use in the future? Thanks! It looks delicious