30 Minute Frozen Pea Soup

And then I hear my neighbor Tyrone call out. “Just came to check on the little guy.” And then I’m all flustered explaining my disciplinary tactics and I swear I’m a good mom and I don’t lock my children outside and gosh I’m sorry I yelled at you when you rang my doorbell.

I think I’m definitely the weird neighbor that everyone in the court talks about. I promise I won’t yell at you if you come to my house, guys. (Unless you are being a disrespectful toddler, then you’re gonna get it.)

I think if you forced me to pick a favorite soup (it would require force, because I love sooo many, like this Ham Mac and Cheese Soup, 10 Minute Wonton Soup, and of course everyone’s favorite, the famous Beef Barley Soup) I might choose Split Pea Soup with Smoked Gouda. It can be made in the slow cooker, so it’s easy, plus I just love the smokey flavor from the ham and gouda. It is so comforting to me.

But that soup is made with dried peas, and I had never even considered the idea of making soup with fresh (or frozen) peas until I saw Soni’s recipe over at Soni’s Food. (You should totally follow her blog if you’re not already! She’s got some amazing recipes to check out, like this Mixed Vegetable Curry, Thai Meatballs, and homemade Paratha! It all looks so amazing.)

My recipe is a little different from Soni’s because I just couldn’t let go of that smokey flavor I love in my Split Pea Soup. I wanted to keep it meatless (read: EASY. no defrosting please) so instead of smoked ham I sprinkled in some smoked paprika as well as some chipotle chili powder. (Did you know that chipotle chilis are just smoked jalapeños?) The result is creamy, smokey pea perfection.

Why you’ll love this Recipe For Pea Soup

Sometimes it’s been too long since you’ve been to the store, and your people still want dinner (why??). Rather than doing takeout or serving cold cereal, make this soup. It’s warm, cozy, flavorful, and so fast and easy. Grab that forgotten bag of frozen peas, a few spices, some onion, celery, and garlic, and then a little cream. This soup is so good with crusty bread – make it homemade or pull out that garlic bread from the freezer. Dinner, done!

What is the difference between Split Pea and green pea soup?

Split peas are dried, peeled green peas. Split pea soup is a cheap and easy meal often made with a ham bone or other pork product meant to flavor the peas. Since split peas are usually dried, it’s a slow cooking soup that you can make in the crockpot or on the stovetop. NOT a 30-minute meal, like this frozen pea soup. 

Easy Pea Soup Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need to make this soup. Hopefully everything is already in your pantry, fridge, and freezer and you’re ready to go! Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more details. 

I have a secret to tell those of you who are reading the post instead of skipping to the recipe, I didn’t measure the celery for the recipe. (Suckas! They’ll never know!) It says “1 cup” down there but I really have no idea. Here’s the picture, how much does it look like to you?

The point is that it doesn’t matter too much, so don’t sweat it. I rarely measure celery by the stalk (use 1 stalk, 2 stalks, etc.) because I’m obsessed with celery leaves. I start chopping the whole bunch, right from the end, so that I get all those delicious leaves in my soup. Celery makes for the BEST soup!

How to make Pea Soup from Frozen Peas

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this soup – scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions! 

1. In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium high heat and add olive oil, then add the chopped onion and celery.
2. Sauté the vegetables and add garlic, peas, chicken broth, thyme, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer.
3. Turn the heat off. Use your immersion blender  or a regular blender to puree the soup. Add cream and heat more as desired.

Making this Recipe for Pea Soup in advance

This soup will keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can make it ahead and keep it in an airtight container. You could also make it earlier in the day and keep it in a crockpot on the warm setting if you’d like it to be ready the moment you want to eat.

You can freeze this soup if you like (though it’s so fast it hardly seems necessary).

I love this recipe because I ALWAYS have a bag of peas in my freezer, and there’s a darn good chance I have celery, onions, and garlic too. Chicken broth is a given because I always have Better Than Bouillon on hand. I love 30 minute meals that I can make from pantry/freezer items when I haven’t planned anything for dinner! It’s the best. Plus this soup is healthy to boot. WIN!

Pea Soup Recipe Variations

Here are some ideas for making this soup your own. Feel free to be creative, especially since the whole point of this soup is to use pantry/fridge/freezer ingredients instead of running to the grocery store.

• Add bacon or ham. Pork is so great with peas. People love a ham bone with their split pea soup, so why not add leftover chopped ham or crumbled, cooked bacon to this pea soup? Especially if you’ve already got it in the fridge.
• Sprinkle on some cheese. Gouda or Parmesan would be amazing. 
• Make it dairy free. Feel free to substitute oat, unsweetened almond, or full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream. 
• Make it vegetarian. This soup works just as well with vegetable broth as it does with chicken broth.

Tips for making Pea Soup with Frozen Peas

Here are a few tips for making this pea soup perfectly delicious. 

• Keep a bag of peas on hand. Why not, right? A 2 pound bag of peas is ideal for icing owies and for making dinner. First one, and then the other (in that order haha). 
• Don’t stress about the details. Don’t have chipotle chili powder? Just use regular chili powder. Don’t have an immersion blender? Pour it in the regular blender. This dinner is all about easy.
• Adjust the consistency as you prefer. We are reserving some of the chicken broth to add in at the end, if desired. Decide how you like your soup and add accordingly.

What to pair with this Easy Pea Soup Recipe

This pea soup is perfect with some crusty bread or soft rolls. Here are some of my favorites!

Soft and Fluffy Parker House Rolls << I love the butter in the middle! So tender. 

Quick and Easy French Bread << this marvelous stuff is ready in ONE. HOUR. 

Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread << baked in a cast iron skillet for amazing flavor.

Quick One Hour Dinner Rolls << one hour to dinner rolls, can it be true??

Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls for Beginners << bake in a muffin tin – no shaping required!

How to store Frozen Pea Soup

Pea soup keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days; just put it in a tupperware and warm some up whenever you want to enjoy an easy meal. 

Can you freeze Pea Soup with Frozen Peas?

Yes, you definitely can. Put it all in a large gallon ziplock (and label it!!) or freeze in individual portions for warming up later. It’ll stay good for 2-3 months. 

How to reheat Frozen Pea Soup

If I’m reheating this soup for multiple people, I’ll do it on the stovetop in a pot. If I’m just warming up a bowl for myself, I’ll use the microwave. Stir, either way, so you don’t have cold spots.

More soup! I found a few of my favorite pureed ones for you:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup << can you still find butternuts in the store? Snag one next time you’re out; this soup slays.
• Easy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup << This recipe is quick and I’ve made it SO many times when I have a head of cauliflower I don’t know what to do with it. Delicious.
• Simple Asparagus Soup << this is a recipe from my sister (kinda) and it’s also super easy. Very similar to today’s pea soup actually.
• Curried Cream of Cauliflower and Apple Soup from A Beautiful Plate
• Cream of Celery Soup from CopyKat Recipes