Quick and easy pea and ham soup, made with fresh or frozen peas and your favourite choice of ham. A filling and nutritious midweek meal or easy starter for your next dinner party, ready in just 15 minutes.
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👩🏻🍳 Why make this recipe
For a quick and easy, family friendly meal this recipe is up there with some of the best. Its quick, nutritious, and everyone gets a good helping of greens. Its also great for using up any leftover ham.
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe makes enough pea and ham soup to serve 2 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):
Ingredient notes
Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.
Peas: Use fresh or frozen peas in this recipe.
Ham: Choose wafer thin or thick cut ham, which ever you prefer. This recipe is perfect for using up any leftover ham thats about to go out of date. Or why not try with gammon.
Crème fraîche: Crème fraîche is used here to add a slight creaminess to the soup without making it too rich, however it is completely optional. Alternatively use plain yogurt or soured cream.
Mint: Chopped mint is the perfect partner to this soup and adds a lovely freshness to the sweet peas, but again this is an optional extra.
Stock: Use good quality stock, both vegetable or a meat based stock will work well.
🔪 Step by step instructions
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Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry until soft.
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Next add the flour and stir in well.
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Gradually add the stock whilst continuing to stir.
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Add the frozen peas then simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
![Four images showing how to make pea and ham soup for steps 1-4.]()
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Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the soup to a blender. Blitz until smooth. (alternatively use a hand blender).
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Return the soup to the pan, once warmed through taste and season. Then add the ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves and mix in well. Serve with extra ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves.
![Two images showing how to make pea and ham soup for steps 5-6.]()
💭 Expert tips
- Frozen peas: To get this meal on the table within 15 minutes I always opt for frozen peas. Frozen peas are a great veg to have handy in the freezer. Just add directly to the soup and cook for a couple of minutes. So easy!
- Vegetarian version: For a veggie version of this recipe just leave out the ham or alternatively try my Tuscan Ribollita Soup, Leek and Potato Soup or Cauliflower Soup.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Once made this soup can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Simply wait for the soup to fully cool then transfer to a sealable container. Seal and store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to one month. To reheat defrost in the fridge overnight (if frozen) then transfer to a pan and gently heat until piping hot throughout.
This recipe uses flour as a thickening agent, which is added at the start of the recipe. The stock is gradually stirred in, allowing the flour to cook out and create a thick sauce.
If you find the soup to be too thick once its been blended, it can be thinned down by adding a ladle of water. Stir in the water and keep adding small amounts of water until happy with the consistency.
🍵 Other soup recipes
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📖 Recipe
Pea and Ham Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 g butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 20 g plain flour
- 500 ml veg stock
- 400 g frozen garden peas or if you have fresh - 500g un-podded peas - additional time need to pod your peas!
- Sea salt and pepper to season
- 125 g of your favourite choice of ham or gammon and extra to serve on top
- 1 tablespoon crème fraîche and extra to serve on top (optional)
- Handful fresh mint leaves finely chopped and extra to serve on top (optional)
- Bread for dunking optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and fry until soft.20 g butter, 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves garlic
- Next add the flour and stir in well.20 g plain flour
- Gradually add the stock whilst continuing to stir.500 ml veg stock
- Add the frozen peas then simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.400 g frozen garden peas
- Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the soup to a blender. Blitz until smooth (alternatively use a hand blender).
- Return the soup to the pan, once warmed through check consistency, taste and season. Then add the ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves and mix in well. Serve with extra ham, crème fraîche and mint leaves.Sea salt and pepper to season, 125 g of your favourite choice of ham or gammon, 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, Handful fresh mint leaves
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published in Jul 2018. Updated in Feb 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.
The post Pea and Ham Soup appeared first on ProperFoodie.