Green Pea Soup Recipe

This green pea soup is made with frozen peas, potato, onion, garlic, and broth, then finished with Parmesan, a little milk and cream, and a dab of butter. It’s smooth and creamy but still tastes very much like peas.

I use potato for more than just thickening the soup. It helps the peas blend into a smoother puree, so you don’t get noticeable pieces of pea skin in every spoonful. And because it uses frozen peas, this is a soup you can make any time of year.

I’ve made this green pea soup with both fresh and frozen peas over the years, but honestly, frozen peas are what I use most often. They’re convenient, they’re already shelled, and I can make this soup whenever I want without waiting for fresh peas to be in season.

The potato is something I wouldn’t leave out. Peas have those little skins that don’t always disappear when you blend them, especially with an immersion blender. Adding a potato gives the soup some body, but more importantly, it helps everything blend into a much smoother puree.

I finish the soup with a little Parmesan, milk and cream, and just a dab of butter. I don’t use all cream because I don’t want the soup to be heavy. It just needs enough richness to soften the sweetness of the peas and give it a creamy finish.

Why you’ll love this green pea soup

• Frozen peas make it practical – No shelling peas and no waiting for them to be in season.
• It blends beautifully smooth – The potato gives the soup body and helps create a smoother pea puree.
• Creamy without being too rich – A combination of milk and cream gives you the right balance without using a cupful of heavy cream.
• Quick to make – Peas cook quickly, so once the potato is tender, the soup comes together fast.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Green peas – I use thawed frozen green peas. They’re convenient, available year-round, and work beautifully in this soup. You can use fresh peas when they’re in season, but there’s no need to go looking for them specifically for this recipe.
• Potato – This isn’t here simply to make the soup thicker. The potato helps the peas blend into a smoother puree so the skins are less noticeable. Cut it into small pieces so it cooks quickly.
• Onion and garlic – These form the flavor base of the soup. Cook the onion until soft before adding the remaining ingredients.
• Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth both work. I prefer to start with enough to cook the vegetables and adjust the consistency after blending rather than making the soup too thin from the beginning.
• Parmesan – A small amount adds savory flavor without making this a cheese soup.
• Milk and cream – I use a combination rather than all milk or all cream. Milk alone doesn’t give quite the same finish, while all cream makes the soup richer than I want. Add them toward the end of cooking.
• Butter – Just a small dab at the end. It rounds out the flavor and gives the finished soup a nice finish without needing a lot of butter.
• Seasoning – Salt and black pepper are all you really need. We should keep whatever herbs are actually in your existing tested recipe when we reach the card rather than adding herbs simply because other pea soup recipes use mint or dill.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Green Pea Soup

1. Sauté the onion and garlic

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

2. Add the potato

Add the chopped potato and sauté for a minute or two with the onions.
Veena’s tip: Keep the potato pieces fairly small. The peas cook quickly, so smaller pieces ensure the potato becomes completely tender at about the same time.

3. Add the peas, broth and season

Add the thawed frozen peas and stir them into the onion and potato mixture.
Pour in the broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the potato is completely tender. The peas don’t need a long cooking time, so don’t continue simmering once the potato is ready.

4. Add the Parmesan

Stir in the grated Parmesan and let it melt into the hot soup.

5. Finish with milk, cream, and butter

Add the milk and cream and stir to combine. Keep the heat gentle at this stage—you only need to heat the dairy through. Add the butter and let it melt into the soup.

6. Blend until smooth

Remove the soup from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
Veena’s tip: Don’t rush the blending. The potato helps the pea skins blend into the soup, but giving it a good, thorough blend is what gets you that really smooth puree.

7. Taste and adjust

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the soup is thicker than you like, add a little broth or water until you get the consistency you want.
Serve hot with croutons or crusty bread.

Storage and Make Ahead

• This green pea soup is a good one to make ahead because the flavor holds up well and it reheats easily.
• Refrigerator – Let the soup cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezer – If you’re planning to freeze the soup, I prefer to freeze it before adding the milk, cream, Parmesan, and butter. Cool the blended pea and potato base completely and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat gently, then add the dairy, Parmesan, and butter to finish.
• Reheating – Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth, water, or milk if needed to bring it back to the consistency you like.
• Make ahead – You can prepare the soup base a day or two ahead, refrigerate it, then add the milk, cream, Parmesan, and butter when reheating just before serving.

Veena Azmanov

Green Pea Soup

5 from 17 votes

This green pea soup is made with frozen peas and potato, then finished with Parmesan, milk and cream, and a little butter. The potato helps the peas blend into a smooth, creamy puree while keeping the fresh pea flavor front and center.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 264

Video

Ingredients

 

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• 500 g (3½ cups) Frozen green peas thawed
• 200 g (1 cup) Potato peeled and chopped small
• 1 med Onion chopped
• 2 med Garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 950 ml (4 cups) Chicken or vegetable broth
• 25 g (¼ cups) Parmesan freshly grated
• 120 ml (½ cup) Whole milk
• 120 ml (½ cup) Heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
   1 med Onion, 2 med Garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons Olive oil
2. Add the potato. Add the chopped potato and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
   200 g Potato
3. Add the peas and broth. Add the thawed green peas and broth. Season with salt and pepper.
   500 g Frozen green peas, 950 ml Chicken or vegetable broth, Salt and black pepper
4. Cook until tender. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the potato is completely tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Avoid cooking longer than necessary once the potato is done.
5. Add the Parmesan. Stir in the Parmesan until melted.
   25 g Parmesan
6. Finish with the dairy. Add the milk, cream, and butter. Heat gently until the butter has melted. Do not boil.
   120 ml Whole milk, 120 ml Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Butter
7. Blend. Remove from the heat and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
8. Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the soup is too thick, add a little water or broth until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Serve hot.

Notes

• Cut the potato into small pieces so it becomes tender before the peas are overcooked.
• The potato helps the pea skins blend into a smoother puree, so make sure it is completely tender before blending.
• Blend the soup thoroughly for the smoothest texture.
• Add the milk and cream toward the end and keep the heat gentle.
• The soup thickens as it cools; add a little water or broth when reheating if necessary.

Equipment you will need

Soup pot

Soup Bowls

Soup ladle

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1394IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg

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Tips for Success

• Cut the potato small. Peas cook quickly, so small potato pieces ensure the potato is completely tender without overcooking the peas.
• Don’t overcook the peas. Once the potato is tender, move on. Long cooking can dull the fresh pea flavor and bright green color.
• Blend thoroughly. Pea skins can make the soup slightly grainy. The potato helps them blend into a smoother puree, but give the soup enough time with the blender.
• Add the dairy at the end. Once the milk and cream go in, keep the heat gentle. There’s no need to boil the soup again.
• Adjust the consistency after blending. If it’s too thick, add a little broth or water until it’s exactly how you like it.

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Hi, I’m Veena

I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.

about me