Sweet Pea and Mint Soup with Chickpea Crumble

Sweet pea and mint soup in a white speckled bowl, topped with crispy chickpea crumble and a sprig of fresh mint, on a marble surface with a grey linen napkin and a tray of crumble in the background

Sweet Pea and Mint Soup with Chickpea Crumble

This vibrant sweet pea and mint soup is one of my favorite spring meals. It's silky smooth, packed with 20 g of fiber and 26 g of protein, and topped with a crispy chickpea crumble that turns it into a complete dinner.

Author Sarah Cobacho (plantbaes.com)

PREP TIME15

COOK TIME25

TOTAL TIME40

Servings 3

Course Soup

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword cashews, chickpeas, easy soup, garlic, gluten-free, Healthy Soup, high-fiber, Iron-rich, lemon, mint, nutritional yeast, peas, spinach, spring soup, weeknight dinner

Ingredients

Sweet Pea Soup

½ tbsp olive oil
1 medium leek white and pale green parts only, finely sliced
1 small zucchini chopped
4 cloves garlic sliced
¼ cup raw cashews
4 cups frozen baby peas
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups baby spinach
⅓ cup fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp white miso paste
sea salt flakes to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chickpea Crumble

1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
sea salt flakes to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) convection / fan on. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Make the chickpea crumble: Add the chickpeas to a bowl and roughly mash with a fork or avocado masher. Transfer to the prepared tray. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Mix well to coat. Bake on the top rack for 25 minutes, stirring halfway, until crispy.
Sauté the leek and zucchini: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the zucchini, garlic and cashews, and cook for 5 minutes more.
Thaw the peas: If the peas are still frozen, thaw by adding to a colander, and running under warm water. Drain and add to the pot. Cook while stirring for a couple of minutes.
Blend: Remove from heat. Add to a large blender, with the vegetable broth, baby spinach, mint, lemon juice, and white miso paste. Blend until silky smooth. Return to the pot, and simmer on low heat until just warmed through. You do not want to let it simmer longer than necessary, as the color will get dull otherwise. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. (See notes for immersion blender).
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, top generously with the chickpea crumble, and enjoy straight away!

Notes

Servings: This soup makes 3 generous servings. To stretch it to 4, serve each bowl with a big slice of wholemeal sourdough.

Blender: I recommend using a standing high-power blender for this one so it gets really really smooth. Using an immersion blender, I think the cashews wouldn't blend totally enough and it might remain a bit grainy and not bring that lovely creamy texture. If an immersion blender is all you have in hand, you could soak the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes, drain, add to a glass pitcher along with one cup of the vegetable broth, and work your immersion blender in there until completely blended and no longer grainy. Or you could use some store-bought cream instead.

Nutritional Information - Per Serving