Green Pea Soup Recipe
A simple Indian-spiced green pea soup. You make a garlic ginger paste, then use it as the base of the soup along with some onion. Some green chile contributes some kick, along with other spices.
I wish I could tell you I made today's pea soup with fresh spring peas. I didn't. It was made with peas found in the back left-hand corner of my freezer. And, even so, it was good. I'm sure it would be exponentially good with fresh market peas. Here's how it works. You make an Indian-inspired garlic ginger paste, then use it as the base of the soup along with some onion. There's also some green chiles in there to contribute some kick, along with a couple other spices. The ingredient list is based on one from this book, but I went off-road beyond that, and turned it into a one-pot soup.
I held off writing about this until I was fairly confident it was a sure thing. And now that I'm sitting here amongst towers of boxes, I think it is safe to say...we're moving. Just up the street though! Nothing too dramatic. But yeah, it's a move. And let me tell you, I don't love moving. I've been happy to avoid doing it for seven? eight? years. But the prospect of a proper guest room, a bit more space to work, and extra, extra tall ceilings - all just a hop and skip from where we currently live (and love) - was too much to pass up. So, in addition to wrapping Champagne flutes one by one - and boxing up tights, toothbrushes, and tart pans - cleaning out the freezer was on my hit list. And that's where today's pea soup comes into play.
There are many things coming with me in the move. And many things that aren't :). I thought I'd share some pics of a few things I've come across that have made the cut. Up top, I love this antique cookie press that I purchased a while back at Heritage in Napa. And below that are some snapshots of my family, and my grandma's copy of The Joy of Cooking.
And Heather, this is a note for you - those little spoons up above were Metne's. It's hard to see, but they all have M, for Metlar, on them. I think they must have been part of her wedding silver? I wonder if mom is hiding the rest of the M's somewhere? And then below those are some H's and a small menagerie of cookie cutters.
I'm looking forward to doing some shooting in the new apartment soon - the light there is stunning - although it will be the first time I'll be shooting from a place where I suspect the morning light will trump late afternoon. Fingers crossed.
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Green Pea Soup Recipe
I had my heart set on topping this soup with little cubes of pan-fried paneer cheese. That said, paneer can be hard to come by, and I didn't have time for an extra stop at another store. I ended up making the cheese "croutons" from queso fresco instead - not as authentic, but still tasty! This soup can easily be made vegan by omitting the paneer, and using sunflower oil in place of the ghee.
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, well chopped
10 sm-med cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to serve
3 tablespoons ghee or sunflower oil
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
4 1/2 cups good-tasting vegetable stock or water
3 1/2 cups / 500 g / 18 oz shelled fresh or frozen peas
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
8 fresh mint leaves, sliveredpan-fried paneed, queso fresco, or haloumi, cut into tiny cubes - optional
Use a food processor or hand blender {in a deep bowl) to puree the ginger, garlic, chiles, cumin and three tablespoons of water into a paste. You could also use a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the ghee. When hot, add the bay leaves and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the onion and cook for a few minutes, until it begins to take on a bit of color. At this point, stir in the garlic-ginger paste, and cook for another minute. Carefully add the stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Then add the peas. Simmer just until the peas are bright, and cooked through - just a couple minutes.
Remove from heat, fish out the bay leaves, add the salt, and puree well with a hand blender. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Also, if you need to thin out the soup at all, you can add more stock at this point. Serve hot topped with a bit of lemon juice, a pinch of cumin, mint leaves, and pan-fried paneer or cheese.
Serves 4 - 6.
Prep time: 7 minutes - Cook time: 10 minutes
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What an exquisite soup. What it screamed to me was a cold soup. I just love cold soups and I can’t wait to make this. What a lovely blog you have!
This looks so simple to make, and I suppose the good thing about this recipe is that you always have peas in the freezer. It one of those recipes that you could just put together in no time, my kids would love this, thanks.
Nice colour! Pea soup is one of my favourites – very simple but great tasting.
Greeting from Montreal!
Let me tell you that your cookbook is just amazing. I’m addicted to your bran muffins, but i’m adding some dark chocolate chunks for the sweet tooth 🙂
I was wondering in which district you’re living in, because i’m planning to be in SF on the first days of september, and where are the chances i can, with some luck, run into you and say hi! 🙂
HS: I walk around the city quite a bit Elise – if you see me, please say hello!
I made this last night with fried cubes of haloumi and it was DIVINE! I loved the color of this soup and the ghee and ginger made it so delicious. It was so easy to make too – since the recipe calls for frozen peas, I am sure I will be making this in the fall and winter too. Thank you for the amazing inspiration!
Made this last night with fresh shell peas from the farmers market – you were right it is amazing with fresh peas! And the leftovers made a lovely chilled soup today for lunch. Thanks!
I finally made this delicious soup, and I just finished a bowl. So wonderful. Thank you creating such and easy recipe. My new go to.
I have a family tradition that I started not to long ago called Sunday Soup, I saw this recipe and wanted to give it a go. You make it look and sound so good. I am not really a pea fan, so I was a tad nerves. We loved this soup!! I made extra and froze it. I also blogged about this amazing soup and that I got it from here. I also mentioned how much I am falling in love with this site. I totally can’t wait to try some of the other recipes you have going on here. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love green pea or split pea soup. I’ve made it several times but probably more traditionally with ham or vegan with onions and carrots. I once had it at this restaurant and it was really interesting in that it either had mint or basil. I can’t remember which but quite DeLish!
This soup looks so fresh and satisfying. I will definitely try, probably topped with a delicate flake salt for texture and color.
made this for dinner tonight; so easy and delicious. serrano & ginger give depth–fresh lemon & mint wake it up. i really should comment more on the many wonderful recipes i’ve tried. thank you!
Hi!
I would love to know which vegetable stock you used in this. I still haven’t found one that I absolutely love.
Thank you!
Thanks for this recipe for green pea soup. It looks like a great summertime treat.
I made your pea soup almost exactly as suggested and found it absolutely enthralling. I fried some mint leaves in ghee in the end for added crispiness and that made it even more aromatic. This one’s a keeper 🙂
Hi Heidi,
I love, love. love, your Writing, Photography, Food and your Cook Books!
I have actually done a similar Pea Soup for a client of mine, not as zesty though. The addition of the Serrano Chiles, Ginger, and Mint give the dish an exciting twist. Really fresh and uplifting! Looking forward to trying it. Thank you for 101 Cookbooks!
Blessings,
Jillian Lauren
Great blog and a very tasty recipe. I made this yesterday for dinner, turned out real nice.
Thank you.
Diana
i am 13 and i just made this for my family tonight– so simple and so delicious! i made it with your lentil burgers and a yogurt spinach dish and i’m left with such a clean, healthy feeling inside 🙂 no deep-frying, no butter, no cream, no starchy vegetables… love your blog!
made this tonight and yeah, it’s so good! sub’d tofu for paneer and sunflower for ghee. Heidi rocks!
I read this when it posted more than a week ago and I keep coming back to this recipe in my mind. I think that means it’s time to finally make it. Plus it will be fabulous chilled as the temperatures rise toward 100+ here in Las Vegas.
I tried your green lentil soup a few weeks ago and can’t wait to try this one!
Your presentation and photography is beautiful. I can’t believe how green that soup is!
Heidi! I’m getting ready to move from SF to Zurich – moving can be at once very exciting and a total headache. Best of luck!
Made this today and I love it!! It’s great chilled as well as hot! This will be a new favorite!
This is incredibly delicious! I made it last night and loved it, and am eating leftovers cold today — equally delicious. I’ll definitely be serving it cold as a summer soup!
Have you ever heard Old Man Luedecke’s original song The Joy Of Cooking? It’s fantastic. It’s all about spirituality and bringing down ‘the holy book’. I think you’d love it!
Yours from Nelson, BC, Canada.
Julie Kerr
Have you ever heard Old Man Luedecke’s original song The Joy Of Cooking? It’s fantastic. It’s all about spirituality and bringing down ‘the holy book’. I think you’d love it!
Yours from Nelson, BC, Canada.
Julie Kerr
This is really cool! Speaking of graphically interesting food, I think you should check this TV Show called EXTREME CHEF. The way they prepare food and what the contestants have to go through is crazy.
There is nothing like a simple healthy recipe like this one. Frozen peas are nothing to be ashamed of. It makes this recipe affordable and accessable to many people, great thanks.
This soup was amazing and tasted of ‘health’ from the very first bite with the ginger and garlic ‘zinging’ in your mouth. My husband loved it and thought it a great substitute for salad. Will make this again!
Thanks!
Oooh this sounds and looks great. I love peas. I’m a huge paneer fan but suspect queso fresco or haloumi would better b/c they have a little salty bite to cut what I imagine is a rich, creamy and spicy soup. Yum.
I just made this last night….LOVED it. I was lucky enough to have purcahsed a ton of fresh peas and was working out something to do with them. Then I saw your recipe. I also happened to have Paneer cheese and went to town. I am going to try a combination of additional Indian Spices next time and add a bit more garlic and mint. Really fast, really east and very satisfying! Thanks
Moving AND making soup? You’re my idol! 😀
This green pea soup recipe sound wonderful. Thanks for the information (and for the great pictures).
I just made this last night — YUM. I served it with rosemary-garlic shrimp kebabs. I’m wondering if blending in the fresh mint at the end would be good? I liked the flavor of them together, but might prefer to have some in every bite, rather than just the bits that “grab” the garnish. 🙂
HS: Oooh. Or maybe a drizzle of mint infused oil?
I love the sound of this… This reminds of a very traditional pea dish we make in Northern India and is enjoyed with chapattis (flat bread). I think the addition of veg stock will give it that extra flavour.
Good luck with your move.
-Shilpa
Tried this one today with fresh peas and it was amazing. Served it with a grilled mozzarella sandwich. The prep time took me a little longer however. I had trouble getting the paste to be a paste, so first tried hand blender, then mortar and pestle. Mortar and pestle seemed to work better for me. Thanks for this recipe!
I made your pea soup over the weekend and it was incredible! Everything I try to make off your website is incredible. Thank you so much!
Such vibrant color! Good luck with the rest of the move.
Hi Heidi,
Love the blog and your recipes! Many have become staples in our house (especially the New Year’s Noodle Soup…my favorite!) I made the pea soup the other night and while the flavors were awesome–I think using ghee is key–I wasn’t wild about the texture. I’ve had this problem with pureed pea soup in the past, but I can’t seem to get it processed thoroughly enough with an immersion blender to create a truly smooth soup, and the skins create an unpleasant chewy texture. So I always end up straining it, which then results in a looser soup than I’d like (and looser than the recipe intends, too). What are your thoughts? Do you just embrace the skins, or is there some trick I’m not hip to? Would a food mill work better? Thanks!
FINALLY…a way to get my husband to eat his peas. This sounds amazing! My 3 year old son and I have no problem with peas, and I think that this is going to be something my husband will love. Thanks:)
I just made this for dinner with farmer’s market peas and it was soooo good–thanks for the recipe! I also garnished with some some fried tofu for protein : )
congrats on the move! your apartment always looked so beautiful from the photos here. I’ve had moving on the brain recently. We are looking for a nicer place, but absolutely love our SF neighborhood (lower haight). If only the SF market wasn’t so competitive..sigh. This soup looks delicious, I will definitely have to try it. Good luck moving!
wonderful photography.
Maybe fresh peas would be better… but all that shelling might make you think twice. We do a similar split pea soup often. I started making it as homade baby food then we adopted it as soup. It is filling and the kids love it… probably because it is green:) When I have fresh peas I prefer to eat them whole drizzled in olive oil or tossed in a salad. They are so beautiful that it seems a shame to turn them into soup. Frozen peas however… are just perfect boiled and pureed!
Oh my! The top photo just took my breath away. Yes, I will definitely be making this in the near future.
It’s a cold day in England today, so this was a perfect lunch (and very economical since I had nearly everything on hand). However, I didn’t have the chiles or the cheese, so I skipped those additions and added a pinch of dried coriander instead. I topped it with the mint and lemon juice and it’s perfect, even without the chiles (husband isn’t used to spicy food anyway!) We had this with some toasted ciabatta bread for dipping and I’ll be having the rest for lunches at work this week. I’m looking forward to it! Thanks for all of your lovely recipes.
It’s 10pm and I am thinking what I can put in the kids lunch thermos in the morning…and there is your recipe. And I have the ingredients. And its quick…Thank you for a nutritious school lunch…
I’m not typically much of a pea soup fan, but the Indian seasoning and mint really made this so different and so tasty.
Also those little fried cheese croutons are brilliant. I may never eat a bowl of soup without them again!
What a big year this has been for you! I hope the move up is partly due to the tons of people like me who bought you new cookbook.
Hi Heidi-I came across your spread in whole living and just ordered your latest cookbook. Can’t wait to try this and lots of other recipes! I always have bags of peas hidden in my freezer and this is a great way to use them up. Your photographs are just beautiful!
The green color of the soup makes it more attractive and mouth-watering. I copied your recipe for my personal reference 🙂
Wow thanks for this one! My house is getting fumigated soon and I need to eat everything in the fridge and freezer before then! I’ve been wondering how to get through my huge Costco size bag of frozen organic peas! This will help make a dent! Mahalo from Maui!!
Next time you need a quick paneer fix, it’s pretty easy to make your own! Just bring milk to a boil, then lower to a bare simmer and curdle with lemon juice — about 3 lemons per 4 cups of milk. Then pour the mixture into a cheesecloth or muslin cloth inside a strainer set over a sink or a bowl, and leave it for a couple of hours. You can also bake a tub of ricotta for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
(Good luck with your move!)
i love that color.
the soup is beautiful; i can’t wait to make it! i just “discovered” your blog last week, having so much fun exploring it, and the links!
also, happy you’re staying in sf! i visit my daughter there regularly, and have enjoyed many of your favorite foodie spots with her. looking forward to more… and more. your new home sounds amazing. 🙂
Lovely… like the tones of a South Indian raga in a bowl. I will make this again and again.
First – I did the same thing the other day – I made a lovely risotto that could have easily included fresh peas, but instead i had frozen on hand. it was still good :).
Second – congrats on the move! we just moved to SF from Chicago and still haven’t completely settled in, so even though we’re in a 1 bedroom (with super high ceilings too!), we’ll be staying for a bit. i’m sure the upgrade will feel great! plus, it’s a great excuse for a deep clean!
Third – I made your carnival cookies from you new book and they are definitely keepers! great for the gluten free friends :). can’t wait to blog ’em.
good luck!
Goodluck to your moving heidi.I wonder when can i possibly have a life same as you. So love your blog.I think I should be marrying one nice guy following your blog who also has passion for food 🙂 just crazy though.
As someone who recently graduated to super-high ceilings, congratulations! Though you may find you need a night or two of adjustment before you can get a comfortable night’s sleep! Thanks for the recipe. Super easy and I’ve been looking for something good to sneak ginger into. WIll make this over the weekend.
Brilliant use of frozen peas-something we all have stashed in that back left corner just dying to be eaten. I bet bringing this to a low boil and dropping an egg in to poach would be lovely. Maybe tonight!
Having stalked far too long, it’s time to make my appearance and say hello, thank you, and you are an inspiration! Your photography is incredible, for one, but I love your unique flavour combinations so much!
this was so delish…! It really sweetened a rainy, cold day here. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to puree the peas fine enough. The skins remained even though I blended a lot. But it was ok, and straining it felt just like wasting so much of the green goodness.
I had no paneer nor queso fresco, but hey, a little bit of joghurt is quite good as well. Don’t omit the last splash of lemon and sprinkle of cumin, it really lifts it up.
I always have frozen peas around… this looks like a great way to use them… thanks for the tip, and good luck with the move!
Is your current apartment for rent? I know someone who is looking for an SF apartment!
HS: Thanks Donna, it looks like the apartment is spoken for.
The green is stunning. I’m making it just for that reason alone!
That soup looks wonderful! I was recently up in Eureka at the wonderful Carter House Inn and I had a similarly beautiful looking pea soup; my immediate thought was that I must replicate the dish at home, so thank you, Heidi, for giving me the tools to do so! And, as I just helped my boyfriend move, I sympathize with you and anybody else packing up tons and tons of boxes. Good luck!
Good luck with the move Heidi. It’s awesome that it is just up the street :).
just wanted to say i made this with edamame and peas, since i had a bit of each in the freezer, and it was perfectly delicious. no paneer either, but the edamame lent it some protein. and i might swirl in some plain yogurt for my next bowl….which is imminent.
thanks as always!
How exciting!
Even moving just up the street will be an adventure…
What a great color! I’m in soup-making-mode/mood still also (thanks to this cold/wet June). This pea soup looks amazing. I’m glad that frozen peas will work because, while I’d love to use fresh, it’s just not always possible. Congrats on the move… I wish you rainless days for it!
I love the idea of “cleaning out recipes.” Please do a series of what to do with what’s left in your pantry or freezer. It is a great thing for all of us to do every now and then to keep from wasting our food resources!
This is a stunning color of soup. Perfect Spring dish. Congrats on the new location, sounds ideal. I love these few random pictures you have impeccable taste.
I now know the fate of that bag of peas sitting in my freezer. And to veganize: replacing the cheese with pan-fried tofu cubes. Thanks for the inspiration.
What beautiful soup! It is such a pretty green, unlike most pea soups 🙂
I love anything with peas and it’s the one ingredient I like better frozen, only because fresh peas are so hard to come by and then end up being five times the price (and work). I don’t mind the work, but Trader Joe’s has organic frozen peas that are so reasonable.
You must be thrilled to move. I remember when you painted your kitchen over a holiday. Moving in summer is so much easier.
I love the photos you took for this post; the spoon photo would be great framed and hanging in my kitchen! Good luck with the move. There’s nothing fun about it and it matters not if you’re moving a mile or cross-country, everything still has to be packed!
Thanks for this, its winter where I am (Cape Town, ZA) and yucky cold so (a very good) soup is very welcome on our menu!
All the best with your move.
Thanks Heidi, I just finished making the soup – IT IS AMAZING! I wasn’t sure if the ginger/garlic would be too strong, but it is perfect. I didn’t have fresh chili so I used dried instead. What a great recipe!
Lovely and delicious soup!!..
Good luck and all the best wishes with your house moving!
Heidi. We are moving too, not to better appartment, but to a storage as we are saving money to travel around Europe next year…so happy for you to move to beautiful, sunny, high ceiling appartment, best of luck with the packing (I can feel your pain:) and hope the move will go smoothly…Im already thinking what am I gonna prepare for the DAY of move to munch on with the remoivalist guys…I think they will sample some of your wonders!
Love how green this soup is – it even looks healthy. Great recipe!
Extra tall ceilings? Stunning morning light? Sounds lovely! Congratulations. Looking forward to hearing about the kitchen 🙂
Heidi. Congrats on the move. It is on my list of Things I Really Hate, too but it always feels so good to get settled into somewhere new and great. And morning light? The best.
I’m also moving soon and need to start making some creative dishes with all of the food in our pantry and fridge. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have moved over 25 times, 2 continents and 4 countries, and the funny thing is, no matter where I am everything is in the same place so there is no panic wondering where is……
Enjoy your new space, esp the light, my fav is the morning. Kind regards
This recipe sounds wonderful. I love how all the flavors sound together and the mint I’m sure gives it such a fresh taste. The color of the soup from your photo is so bright and green.
I love pea soup and can’t wait to try your version.
Thanks for sharing!
it is winter here in new zealand and i have been searching for new soup recipes to feed my flatmates and i. i will definitely have to give this one a go! thanks and good luck with the move heidi!
it is winter here in new zealand and i have been searching for new soup recipes to feed my flatmates and i. i will definitely have to give this one a go! thanks and good luck with the move heidi!
Now I wish I had bought ginger today! Oh my goodness. A lovely gluten free summer soup… with mint AND ginger AND peas AND cumin. So many of my favorites in one pot.
It’s on the list. Next week?
i’m going to miss you old place Heidi
Was just looking for an easy soup to make and freeze in containers to take to work – this will dit the bill nicely – out of the freezer, then back in again. Perfect!
yum, this sounds amazing and i love the vibrant green color. good luck with your move!
Ooo! Just what I needed! For some reason, I always seem to have an excess of frozen peas in my freezer. I’m not a huge pea fan, or even a frozen vegetable fan, but I always seem to think I need frozen peas…
Perfect recipe for me:)
Oh, moving is big! And hard. And good.
And re: forzen peas? There was a quote, via Fergus Henderson, in a recent Saveur, to this effect:
“Wait until peas are in season. Then buy frozen.”
No shame, there. And maybe, extra sweetness and light.
Cheers to you, Heidi, as you transition through this next chapter. Can’t wait to see the photos + food from this new locale.
What about the little birds that come to your kitchen door?? you will miss them and so am I but Im happy for you. It will be for sure a change for the better!
great soup!!
Heidi, I am moving this weekend too! You are such an inspiration to me because I’ve been guilty of not cooking (most of my utensils are packed) and this looks like something I can make with minimal pots/ingredients all. Would you consider making a moving recipe list? Thanks!
mmm…this sounds delicious. i LOVE a good pea soup – and it’s just perfect for spring. love the idea of topping it with fried cheese. perfection!
I’m moving too, in just a month! starting to think of using up all my extra freezer food. I came to my computer to see what I had written for tonight’s menu, but whatever it was -it won’t be anymore! here comes pea soup! I have a block of firm tofu that needs to be eaten, so I might try toasted tofu croutons, and I have leftover homemade WW pita to go with the soup too! sounds like a winner! thanks for your wonderful recipes!
The soup looks amazing- the green is so vibrant and refreshing just to look at. The flavor must be exquisite. And I must admit that I just can’t stop looking at the table the soup is resting on. Definitely my style of wood! Happy moving!
haven’t tried a pea soup… im quite curious how it tastes.. hmm..but i have this need to try it somewhere else before i make mine.. just couldn’t figure out where i could get it here in my city (Philippines by the way)
What a beautiful soup! It might possibly be enough to convince me to buy a blender of some sort. Right now I can’t puree anything. But Heidi, your pureed soups always sound and look so wonderful!
By the way, I absolutely love “Super Natural Every Day.” Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful talents, and for making such a beautiful book.
Loving the old cookie cutters, kitchen gadget envy.
Pea-soup is a difficult one in my household, and that’s just the adult(s)!
Indian-style spicy base just may do the trick, though I think cilantro might suit it better than mint. Thanks for sharing.
Sunflower oil; love it. Great recipe, Heidi.
Thanks for sharing!
I like pea soup but I love what you’ve done to it – tempered all that sweetness with spice. Good luck with your move! I’m envious of your light and it must be amazing if it’s better than what you’ve got going on right now.
Love the green soup, and your ingenuity to make a masterpiece from bits and pieces, remnants and whole foods.
I will be moving again at the end of summer, and have been putting off the sorting job. Wherever I end up, I know my nesting abilities will just kick in. But, what to keep, and what to selllllllll????
The house is for sale, by the way. It’s a woman’s home, next to a small creek, with 300 acres of forest behind it. Built in 1920 by a master carpenter, I have been working on it for 20 years. Hard to leave, but the children are flown, my father is now gone, and my life in a new place awaits!
Thanks once again Heidi!
P.S. Forgot to mention that when I was a kid and hanging out in my grandma’s kitchen while she and 3-4 of her sisters worked on holiday meals, there were times when a question would come up about something they were cooking. One of them would usually say, “Let’s ask Irma,” and get out the book.
Looks absolutely beautiful, cannot wait to try it. Peas are in season here in France and I cannot wait to buy some at the market on Saturday and make this!
Perfect timing, Heidi! With packing cases everywhere and strenuous efforts being made to de-nude freezer and store cupboard before departure, this was heaven-sent – and tasted fantastic! A great alternative to Nigella’s pea and pesto. Will definitely do it again – even without the packing case excuse…. very good luck with the move!
HS: You too Deb!
Heidi, I make a similar soup with yellow split peas and Indian spices. Think of it as a diluted dal. Also, I haven’t seen paneer in any stores here, but it’s easy to make — when you’re not getting ready to move, that is. When I decide to make sag paneer on short notice, I substitute firm tofu for the paneer.
This soup looks amazing! Ever since I started making pea purees I have been obsessed with doing things with spring peas, they are just so lovely! I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for the post 🙂
Congrats on the move, Heidi!
I’ve found making paneer at home is easier than trying to find it in a store. It’s similar to making ricotta.
In a heavy pot, heat up a gallon of whole milk (pasteurized is fine, just make sure it’s not ultra-pasteurized or the yield is much smaller) to 180 degrees F, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
When the milk hits 180, pour in 1/4-1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice. The milk will break into curds (the chunky stuff) and whey (the yellow liquid) while you keep stirring. Pour the pot into a colander lined with a double layer of cheesecloth to catch the curds. Let it cool a little.
When it has cooled, tie the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze out the excess liquid. Hanging the bundle helps. You should have about a pound of curds. Remove the curds to a lightly-oiled baking or serving dish and press them flat; you can even weigh them down with a book over a piece of waxed paper. Place in the fridge for about 1/2 hour to an hour. Then cut into squares and enjoy!
that looks like a good recipe but one problem…I don’t eat any soup that green. HAVE FUN MOVING!:)
Congratulations…moving is really difficult and I am happy it will be to a place that has more space i.e. I am jealous??? LOL
This recipe looks wonderful. I will have to save it for cold weather but I know my daughter will love it. Many thanks.
Heidi, I grabbed your new book at the Compass bookstore at the SF airport on my way to a vacation on Cape Cod. It is a real inspiration of a book on many levels and we have already made the Little Quinoa Patties three times (turns out they’re a perfect accompaniment to the fresh flounder and cod we get down the road!). Good luck with the move. Cate
HS: Really glad you’re liking them Cate!
This may sound ridiculous, but what a cute soup! And not a little appropriate for Portland’s perpetually fall like weather.
I too hate moving. Just hate it. Truly does not matter if you have a little or a lot.
Our house gets western sun which gives me amazing soft morning light to shoot with. Can’t wait to see what you come up with in your new space.
Good luck with the move!
Heidi, I want to say how much a enjoy reading your blog entries, and how influential your cooking ideas are in my own cooking repertoire! Your emails have saved me from the “what do I make for dinner” syndrome on more than one occasion! The pea soup looks like it will be a real winner! Keep bringing us magic!
p.s. I love the new font on the blog…what is it?!
HS: I’m using Typekit – you can choose from a library of fonts by using it. Totally blanking on the font names right now though.
So excited you are moving. Did you stay in the same hood?
Hi Katherine -yes! 🙂 You’ll have to come stay. Miss you!
I love those pink and yellow flowers on the dish adding spring-ish color to the pea soup. Congrats on your move! Looking forward to seeing more beautiful photos from your new place!
Regarding your grandmother’s beautiful silver spoons, I saw an amazing idea recently – an artist who took engraved silver flatware like yours and fused it into a bracelet that shows off the engraved letter. I have boxes of my grandmother’s wedding silver and china and keep intending to get them made into bracelets for all of her daughters and granddaughters.
What a lovely soup! I make one quite similar whenever cleaning freezer, but also always in May, with frozen peas fresh mint and curry.
I am the sad but proud holder of 4 copies/editions of Joy of Cooking: My grandmother’s, mother’s, my own, and my daughter’s, who passed at age 28. It is so precious to have each of these well thumbed, food spattered compendiums of dishes well-savored and shared with others in our gene-pool.
It is also fascinating to track the changes in food considerations through the generations.
When I was a hippy living in the woods, the recipes for small game from Gramma’s book came in right handy!
This looks absolutely delightful! Cleaning out my freezer is on this week’s To Do list, so I will be joining you in pea soup land. I usually pair peas with mint, but I can’t wait to try your version with the added ginger and garlic. Thanks for the idea, and good luck with the move!
That looks like the best pea soup ever 🙂
(I’m loving your photos again)
Thank you for a recipe that looks like it will only take 17 minutes to make!! I have peas in the freezer myself so I think this will be my dinner tonight… and again once the pea plants release their bounty.
All the best with the move, sounds like a lovely place. Can’t wait to see photos from your new location.
This soup looks stunning, I will be extra sure to try it when peas are in season.
Ginger and peas. I’m intrigued. Thanks for the inspiration. And…lovely photographs.
Love this soup!
I made green pea soup for a dinner party a few weeks ago. I made it with frozen peas since fresh were not available at that time. The soup is good for a first course, not to filling (unless you’re like me and have a second helping). If you can get garden fresh peas, I would recommend it. It takes this soup to a whole other level.
Oh, the rest of the dinner was BBQ cedar planked salmon, saute asparagus, pearl barley and wild rice risotto and for dessert a lemon sabayon tart.
Heidi the soup looks lovely and I love the photos of the silverware and the cookie cutters and little objects you’ve been finding as you’re packing.
I have moved 10 times in 10 years. Some across the country, some across state lines and some just within the city of San Diego. I hope to god I am staying put for “awhile”…which anything longer than a year (currently place 13 mos) is doing good for me! haha!
I hate packing. hang in there! And enjoy setting up your NEW kitchen..the BEST part of moving for me!
I have never made pea soup. We sure have moved often enough though! That will be soup I’ll have to try now that I have my teens open to trying all sorts of new foods in the past few years. Good luck with your move. It will all get done even though it may not seem like it at the moment.
Hi Heidi,
This soup looks perfect for today. And, I need to clean out my freezer. No doubt I’ll find a bag of peas.
Did you ever get the game box made with your lemon photo? I sent it to you for your birthday at the same time as the celebration of the book release.
Good luck with your move!
i love it when you make indian food ! the green color of the soup is so inviting ….
Heidi,
I love the idea of using queso fresco as a substitute for paneer. I’ve never been able to find paneer, but I can get queso fresco right down the street. Thanks for the great suggestion!
You always have a nice recipe to read on. Your baking gadgets and teaspoons are so quaint & elegant. 🙂
Hello Heidi,
I just came across your blog a few days ago, and I’ve been trawling through it making potential weekly meal plans! This is just so amazing, and your choices just hit straight home, and it’s like a collection of my dream food! The photography is also outstanding, and makes everything look intoxicatingly good! We’ve already picked 1 dish to try a day for next week, and I feel more excited about cooking than I have in forever! Thank You for having this blog, and I’ll make sure everyone I know gets to know about it too!
Best Regards
Karoline in London
That looks gorgeous. I love the color! And all the spices and seasonings sound wonderful.
Good luck with your move!
Even though I’m not moving, I’ve been cleaning out my office and looking at old silver, pictures of my childhood, and cookbooks my mother used. It’s surprising at how far I’ve gone from the cooking I grew up with. So, I’ve been cooking the southern dishes I grew up with for the last few days…indulging in the nostalgia.
Thanks for the awesome recipe !!
Indian Cuisine
hi heidi
congratulations on the move!
that pea soup looks delicious.
i just picked up a book that i love called
Anjum’s Eat Right for Your Body Type: The Super-Healthy Detox Diet Inspired by Ayurveda
It has a recipe for spicy corn soup that I just made a huge batch of for the restaurant i work at and it was sooooo delicious.
can you do some recipes with corn soon? 🙂
good luck on the move!!
love always
amy in toronto
Hey Heidi! I am about to move too. Yikes, frightening stuff. But, like you said, the pros outweigh the cons. The soup looks delicious! Thanks for the inspiration. I will need it when I’m making Franken-recipes from whatever I have left in my fridge, freezer and pantry. Great work! C
This soup sounds amazing. It’s so vivid and gorgeous! Beautiful dish. Good luck with the move!
Oh this looks fantastic (though it’s a bit to warm in NYC right now for soup…). I bet this would work well with lentils too!
Oh Heidi – we just moved last week (from Santa Fe back to Santa Barbara) so I know what you are going through! It’s great to unpack, have a newly organized pantry and a fresh start in a new location. Hope the move goes well and enjoy the new place, it sounds great!
Moving is always such a traumatic experience and so exhausting, yet it is also the beginning of a new adventure and so exciting…even if you are moving just one block away. When we last moved (three blocks from our last place), I was surprised to discover a whole new world. I guess the fact that the two apartments were separated by a large street made the two areas two very different “villages” inside a city!
i needed a good english pea recipe. i thought the fresh ones i got from the market would go bad so i froze them all anyway!
How exciting! I love a good move because you get to go through stuff and donate/throw away things you don’t need.
If y’all need any help, let me know 🙂
Pea soup with the first mint sprigs from the garden is already on the rotation around here, but I love your idea to include Indian spices! Yum!
Happy packing 🙂
thanks for sharing a beautiful soup recipe. best of luck with the move!
I’m also in clean-out mode, preparing for a move. I don’t have any frozen peas, but I think the base of the soup would work with some pureed squash I found!
this looks delicious! love the color. good luck with your move!
This is funny to me, because last week I saw someone eating green pea soup at a restaurant here in Florida and this was the first encounter I had seen in a awhile.
Just seems like people dont eat it as much here. I’m guilty of sticking to the basic French Onion and tomato bisque, but will give this a shot!
congratulations on the new place, and good luck with your move!
… and, yum.
Looks awesome! I just figured out how to make paneer (which is so ridiculously easy, I’m kicking myself for not learning sooner) – this soup is a great excuse to make some more. That, and it is near fresh pea season here… yum!
Ooh! Looks amazing. I love pea soup. Perfect for fresh peas available in the markets now!! Thanks again for great ideas, inspiration and beautiful photos!
oh man, i hate moving! well, love and hate…hate the actual moving part but love redecorating a new space and making it mine 🙂 this sound sounds absolutely amazing!
Green is my favorite color, and this soup is the most gorgeous shade! I love the Indian flavors used here; and shell peas will be making their appearance at our greenmarkets soon – a perfect opportunity to give this a try.
Good luck with the move!
This is so my kind of soup. I might make it today itself.
Good luck with the move- this soup looks like the perfect way to use up extra food!
Wow! Beautiful!
Since I use my frozen peas as ice packs for running injuries …. I’ll save this recipe for fresh spring peas from the farmers market! Thank you for sharing it with us!
I make a soup with a bag of frozen peas on my blog recently too. It is what it is.
We’re also in the process of moving. Countdown 19 days. I am moving to a place where we actually have light, unlike my current apartment. Or space for me to actually set up a photoshoot instead of half-assing it.
Good luck packing.
Sorry, I’m hoping that did not come across as a criticism! It wasn’t until I was pregnant and handling an entire box of those metal letters that somebody informed me that they could be lead! Ever since then, the darn things make me nervous!!
I love pea soup, and I look forward to trying your exciting recipe.
I wanted to mention your collection of H’s and cookie cutters. The metal H’s look like they’re from the typesetting collections used on old printing presses. Some of those may be lead.
The photo is artistically beautiful, but I’d recommend not having those near your food or kitchen tools! Just a thought…
Best wishes from germany, tj
This looks amazing! I’ve seen plenty of fresh ‘springy’ pea soups, but never with the spices this has! I’ll bet it tastes fantastic – one to bookmark!
I`d like to try such a delicious-looking green soup!
Delicious! I love the colours of this soup and it’s a great way to use up some leftovers lurking at the bottom of the freezer!
Good luck with the move 🙂
I am starting to organise my next move as well and I already hate the idea of it. I will surely make this soup to finish the frozen peas as well. There is not one of your soups that I have not loved and prepared over and over so fat.
Good luck with your move – I’ll be thinking of you!
Good luck with the moving! I am hoping to be doing the same sometime soon. I’ve also been enjoying pea soup lately, interestingly peas grow in winter here in Sydney!
Definitely making this as soon as I find some peas – fresh or frozen! Yum! We’re well into soup season here in NZ and this one’s next. Good luck with the move!
Ooooh… moving. 🙁 Icky packing but exciting new adventures! That said, I grew peas this year and loved them! Eaten plain off the vine they were a little bit like candy. Only a little bit though. Let’s be real. They were still peas and did *not* count as my candy for the day. 🙂
I love, just love, that you have a copy of your grandma’s “Joy of Cooking.” What a treat and special bond. Good luck with the move, and thanks for this awesome, easy recipe. It looks lovely!
Oh wow what exciting news Heidi 🙂 All the best. I don’t envy your packing! We still have a few boxes waiting to magically unpack themselves 😉
Xx
I’m moving too, Heidi!
With a bigger kitchen (by Parisian apartment standards 🙂 so I can make all of your recipes with more ease now can’t wait! Will be making Moving Pea Soup in honor!
Best of luck with your move, and keep the amazing recipes coming. I now own both cookbooks, but still need more!
PS What would you serve this soup with? (And how do you feel about a huge glob of fresh French goat cheese from the market on top? 🙂 Bisous from Paris! Rebecca
hello heidi – i don’t eat pea soup that often, i must admit, but all the spicy additions sound as though they’ll make the soup extra good, so i might have to try this to find that out. and good luck with your moving – packing and unpacking is pain in the back but your new place sounds like a wonderful one! can’t wait to see your pictures from there. x
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