Pea and Broccoli Soup (Quick & Easy Family Recipe)

A nutritious and very inexpensive soup is an irreplaceable meal for lunchtime over the winter weekend! And this Pea and Broccoli Soup is exactly what you need to warm your heart and soul! With two green veggies at play and a generous spoonful of creme fraiche, this 15-minute green soup is both nutritious and decadently creamy! Serve it with some buttered crusty bread for a filling meal!

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Pea Broccoli Soup
• Equipment Needed
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Can I Use Broccoli Stems in Soup?
• Step-By-Step Method
• Let's Make It Fancy: Toppings For Broccoli Pea Soup
• Reader Review
• Top Tips & Tricks
• What To Serve Broccoli and Pea Soup With?
• How To Store Leftovers?
• Other Delicious and Nutritious Soup Recipes
• Easy Broccoli and Pea Soup (15 Minutes)

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Why You Will Love This Pea Broccoli Soup

• Only 6 ingredients to make this deliciously smooth soup (and most of them you will find in your cupboards and freezer).
• It's one of the easiest meals you'll ever make - it only takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
• Its vibrant green colour makes it extremely impressive looking and very appealing!
• This broccoli pea soup uses inexpensive everyday ingredients, costing around £0.60p per portion (Aldi UK prices, 2022). It's even less than our Carrot and Leek Soup!
• You can make it into a fancy starter for your dinner party by adding some luxurious extras (see the section below).

Equipment Needed

Get a large saucepan or a large pot ready. Grab a spatula or a wooden spoon! Get your chopping board out and let's cook! The only special tool you'll need is something that will blend the soup. You could use one of the following:

• Liquidiser (or liquidiser attachment for your stand mixer).
• Immersion blender / stick blender / hand blender.
• A food processor that is suitable for hot liquids.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Only six ingredients (one of which is actually optional, but highly recommended) for an easy Broccoli and Pea Soup:

• brown onion: can be replaced with red onion, white onion or a couple of small shallots.
• garlic cloves: can be substituted with shop-bought garlic paste, but make sure to reduce the amount of salt (stock) that you're adding as the paste can be heavily salted.
• garden peas: we always use frozen garden peas, but fresh will work just as well (make sure to not add them to the pot until broccoli is almost tender though, as fresh peas will overcook and lose their vibrant green colour otherwise).
• broccoli: fresh broccoli makes the best soup, in our opinion, but you may use frozen too. Soup made with frozen broccoli will make a slightly thinner soup, so if you want it thick, make sure to reduce the amount of vegetable broth you're adding.
• vegetable broth or vegetable stock cube. You may use chicken stock instead.
• creme fraiche: is optional but makes a huge difference for the super creamy texture and decadence. It can be replaced with sour cream, heavy cream or even a dollop of yoghurt!

Can I Use Broccoli Stems in Soup?

100%! Trim any dirty/ damaged bits of the stem, give the stem a good wash and chop it up into smaller bits than your broccoli florets (as the stalk is harder and will take longer to cook). 

Step-By-Step Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan on low heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes, until softened, but not browned. 

2. Add the frozen peas and broccoli florets.

3. in the stock cube, and pour the boiling water over it, or simply pour in the prepared hot vegetable broth. Partially cover with a lid and simmer the soup for 10-12 minutes over medium heat, until the broccoli is tender, but not losing its vibrant green colour.

4. Pour the soup into a liquidiser or blend it with a stick blender until silky smooth. Add the creme fraiche and blend again. If your soup appears too thick, add a splash of hot water and blend again. Taste for seasoning and add some black pepper and salt, if required.

5. Divide the blended soup between bowls, and serve with bread!

Let's Make It Fancy: Toppings For Broccoli Pea Soup

Whilst easy and inexpensive to make, this Broccoli and Pea Soup can definitely be made into a fancy appetizer. All you need to do is get creative about the presentation! And what better way than adding a couple of simple toppings? Here are some great options:

• Add an extra spoonful of creme fraiche on top of the soup for extra decadence.
• Scatter some lemon zest on top of your soup - the zest goes very well with the tangy creme fraiche!
• Nothing makes the soup taste better than some fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, fresh basil, mint leaves and chives go very well with this broccoli pea soup.
• Drizzle the soup with some garlic, basil or chilli-infused oil.
• Scatter some toasted pumpkin seeds on top for added texture!
• Add some chilli flakes or red pepper flakes (Aleppo pepper is our favourite!) on top for some extra kick and colour vibrancy!
• Make some parmesan crisps (like the ones we used to top our Leek Risotto) or sprinkle it with nutritional yeast. 

Alternatively, try our Broccoli and Stilton Soup or Pea Soup With Feta, all topped with pea shoots!

Top Tips & Tricks

As simple as this Broccoli and Pea Soup may be, it's been long in the making. We made numerous versions of it - the soup either tasted like broccoli soup, or like pea soup, so it took us a good few tries to arrive at a recipe that tastes of both vegetables in equal proportions 🙂

To make this Broccoli Soup super memorable, here are a few tips to follow:

• Don't overcook your veggies. Yes, they need to be soft and tender, but do not let them lose their vibrant colour. Broccoli will start turning slightly yellow if overcooked. You want the fresh flavour and the vibrant colours!
• Blend the soup a minute longer than you think you should for an extra smooth soup.
• Do not reheat the soup, serve it straight after you've blended it for the maximum vibrancy of colour!

What To Serve Broccoli and Pea Soup With?

Soup needs to be served with some kind of bread (or at least something made with flour), right? Absolutely! We love this green soup with:

• Crusty Sourdough Bread Slices
• Eggless Cheese Scones
• 3-Ingredient Flatbreads
• Sourdough Naan Bread
• Or simply add some crunchy croutons on top and forget about the bread altogether!

How To Store Leftovers?

If you have any leftovers, store them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Your soup will lose some of its green colour when you reheat it, but it will still taste delicious.

A great way to store it for longer is to freeze the soup (ideally before adding creme fraiche) and keep it frozen for up to 3 months.

Other Delicious and Nutritious Soup Recipes

Quick and easy soup is our favourite way to enjoy lunch on a weekend or even a chilly night after being back from a freezing cold dog walk. Here are some of our favourite tasty soup recipes: 

• Creamy Mushroom & Blue Cheese Soup
• Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup
• Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Soup
• Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
• Pea & Mint Soup