Providing something hot to eat is the hardest challenge, and although flasks of soup provide scope for spillage and mess, I feel they are worth the risk. This soup – my all-time most-requested- has the bonus, too, of being so simple to make, you can do it while you stumble about the kitchen at breakfast. While you can make it with pesto from a jar, the difference when you use the ‘fresh’ stuff in a tub that you find in chiller cabinets in the supermarkets is astonishing. I think soups taste better made in a blender rather than a processor, and it’s best to use a blender which has a central bit in the top you can remove; this stops pressure building up, which in turn prevents you getting soup all over you or your walls. This would not be a good start to the day.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 17 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 7 min |
| Yield: | enough for 2 hearty bowls |
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups frozen peas
- 2 scallions
- 1 teaspoon Maldon salt or kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) fresh pesto (not jarred)
Instructions
- The quickest way to proceed is to fill a kettle first and put it on to boil. When it’s boiled, measure the amount you need into a pan and put on the stove to come back to a boil.
- Add the frozen peas, scallions, salt and lime juice and let everything bubble together for 7 minutes.
- Discard the scallions and blitz the peas and their liquid with the pesto in a blender.*
- Pour into a thermos flask that you’ve left filled with hot water and then emptied and make sure you screw the top on securely.
- *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 273 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 3 mg |
| Sodium | 1408 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 2 servings |
| Calories | 273 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 3 mg |
| Sodium | 1408 mg |
Reviews
Excellent! I am a bariatric surgery patient and this soup fits the plan perfectly. It just needs to be strained through a mesh sieve if the person is on the full liquid stage of the diet. Making it with chicken stock and adding some fresh Parmesan would increase the protein content even more! Thank you Nigella. This is a flavorful treat.
Delicious and easy – a great way to round out a meal! I usually eat this with mozzarella sandwiches – irresistible!
I adore this! I just made another batch for my MIL who just had surgery. I use chicken stock, plenty of black pepper; fresh ground of course, a small clove of grated garlic and no pesto as I was out. I put this through a mesh strainer after pureeing and add a touch of heavy cream. YUMMOLA!
Easy AND something that i crave in cold weather!
Such a delicious and easy soup! I always whip it up for lunch with a little side salad and I’m all set! Very comforting on those cold rainy days.
Savory and quite satisfying without being heavy.
This is a great dish for those times when you’re munchie, but not hungry enough for a full meal.
I love this soup. It tastes like a bit of Spring in the middle of winter. I have one quibble and one not about the recipe.
First, the quibble: you do not need to use freshly made pesto. Nigella’s site specifies that you should use pesto from a tub rather than a jar. Tubbed pesto is kept under refrigeration in stores, and it does taste better than shelf-stable jarred pesto. Several of the tubbed brands taste great.
Second, the note: I tried to make this more flavorful by using stock instead of water. Don’t do that! The water really highlights the sweet taste of the peas and the nuttiness of the pesto. It is much, much better with water.
Easy, fast, filling and delicious! Try it, you won’t be disappointed!
This soup is easy and delicious.
I made this soup one day when I was home sick and happened to have the ingredients on hand. I was SO sick, and I made it as-is. OMG, what a fantastic thing to find! I’ve made it many times since then as well, and my honey asks for it often. Admittedly, I use pesto I’ve made myself from basil I grew myself and stashed in the freezer, but. . .what’s wrong with just about any pesto, right?
Try this soup, you’ll love it. It’s even vegetarian (although I’m definitely not.) It’s worth buying a Thermos like Nigella’s to tote it around with you, as I’ve done many times.
Thanks, Nigella!