Vegan Cheesy Pea Soup

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!

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📖 Recipe

Vegan Cheesy Pea Soup

Yield: 4 -6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

A deliciously-moreish and velvety smooth green soup that is both easy and healthy.

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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

1. 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.
2. Stir in the peas and add the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the mixture to a blender, along with the miso (if using*), cashews and nutritional yeast.
4. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.

To make the crunchy pea croutons

1. 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.
2. 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

1. 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 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 238Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 679mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 8gSugar 8gProtein 13g

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