A Thai-inspired lightly spiced Pea Soup with ginger and lemongrass – This soup is fresh, light but also a lovely winter warming option that’s rich in flavor and nutrients.
It’s wintertime which means I’m officially in soup-making mode. This year I’m obsessed with this easy Thai-inspired soup – combining peas, courgette, lemongrass, and ginger (as well as a handful of other items), you end up with a light but nutrient-dense green soup.
Winter is the season of cold/flu, and there’s nothing better than a big bowl of warming soup when you’re not feeling your very best. Or if you’re needing something to help you warm up, when your blanket isn’t quite making the cut.
This pea soup is so light and refreshing that it works well as a year-round soup option, for a highly nutritious meal.
Recently I’ve been focusing on trying to eat more fiber in my diet. It’s something I’d never put too much thought into previously but, with new studies revealing just how much a high-fiber diet can benefit our bodies, consider me educated.
Peas are a great source of fiber though, so I was happy to use them to create this healthy green vegan soup. I even sometimes serve the soup with high-fiber crackers or use them as healthy ‘crouton’s – delicious.
So, why is fiber so important?
When thinking about fiber, there’s one primary benefit that people can call to mind. Surprisingly, there’s a lot more to it though. There is not just one type of fiber and each comes with its distinctive properties and health effects.
Fiber is a non-digestible carb found in food, split into two main categories; Soluble fiber (which dissolves in water ) and insoluble fiber. I won’t go too much into the science of it all, for the sake of keeping things nice and simple – but the type of fiber it is directly relates to whether or not healthy gut bacteria can metabolize it.
We’re meant to eat between 25-30g of fiber a day (as women) and close to 40g, for men. However, the majority of us are probably consuming half of that.
- First and foremost, fiber is most often linked with helping to keep us ‘regular’, which, in turn, is a positive for our entire bodies and can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
- Fiber can be useful for gut health, as it ‘feeds’ the healthy gut bacteria. This is important for several reasons, as good gut health has been linked to overall health, including brain function and your immune system, and even good mental health. Do you know the saying happy wife, happy life? Well, the same seems to be able to be said about your gut- happy gut, happy life.
- Eating a good amount of whole-grain fiber can Improve heart health while lowering cholesterol, inflammation, and blood pressure. This, in turn, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, obesity, etc.
- A fiber-rich diet can help with weight management, as it can keep you satiated for longer, adding bulk and slowing down the digestion process.
- Fiber is also a natural detoxer, removing toxins from your G.I. tract. Soluble fiber soaks up harmful compounds before they’re able to be absorbed by your body.
Fiber is also linked with a lower chance of having kidney stones and providing an energy boost.
I think it’s worth stating that, for people with certain digestive issues, fiber can cause some trouble. Especially if you’re eating too much of one kind – insoluble vs soluble – so consult a dietician, in that case.
How To Make The Thai Inspired Green Pea Soup
Ingredients
- Frozen peas (or fresh)
- potatoes
- zucchini/courgette
- vegetable stock – I used Homemade Stock
- full fat coconut milk
- coconut oil
- small onion
- ginger
- lemongrass
- garlic
- salt & pepper
The How-To
Begin by preparing the vegetables. Slice the zucchini, and dice the onion, ginger, potato, and garlic.
As the potatoes take longer to cook, start by saut̩ing them with coconut oil in a large pot. Note Рyou could also use olive oil if preferred.
Once the potatoes are softened, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and sauté again for 1-2 minutes.
As soon as the onions have softened, add the zucchini, salt, and pepper and mix.
Add the peas and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Then add the coconut milk.
Using a handheld immersion blender, whizz the soup while on low heat.
Keep mixing until you get a smooth consistency.
Once you like the constancy, transfer to a bowl, garnish and serve immediately.
You can top with some coriander, a few peas, or toasted pine nuts. I love to add a couple of lime wedges, to squeeze the lime juice into the soup – delicious when combined with the other Thai flavors.
Serve with toast or crackers for extra crunch and enjoy your delicious soup.
How To Store The Soup
Allow any leftover soup to cool down completely before transferring to an airtight container and keeping it in the fridge. This can be stored between 4-5 days.
You can also freeze it. I don’t know exactly how long for, but I would say at least two months.
Other Vegan Soup Recipes You May Like
If you love this soup and are looking for other vegan soup recipes that may catch your fancy, then look no further. You may like this Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup, Healthy Lentil Soup with Rainbow Chard, or Japanese-inspired Ramen Noodle Soup (just serve without the egg topping). For more inspiration, check my list of 20+ Winter Soup Recipes – Easy, Delicious, Comforting!
As always, if you try this pea soup recipe then, let me know. I’d super appreciate a rating or comment. You can also tag me in your recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie.
Simple Thai inspired pea soup
Ingredients
- 500 g peas
- 150 g potatoes
- 2 zucchini (courgettes)
- 1 L vegetable stock
- 400 ml full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion
- 20 g ginger
- 2 lemon grass stalk
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the vegetables. Slice the zucchini, and dice the onion, ginger, potato and garlic.Â
- As the potatoes take longer to cook, start by sautéing them with the coconut oil in a large saucepan.
- Once the potatoes are softened, add the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and sauté again for 1-2 minutes. Â
- Next, add the zucchini, salt and pepper and mix, sauteeing for a further couple of minutes.
- Add the peas and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Then add the coconut milk.
- Using a handheld blender, whizz the soup whilst on low heat. Keep mixing until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to bowls and garnish with your items of choice. I like to top it with some coriander, a few whole peas, toasted pine nuts, some lime wedges and sometimes some high-fibre crackers as ‘croutons’
Dan Kiehnle
Hi,
You said, “Keep mixing until you get a smooth constancy.” I’m pretty sure you meant consistency, right?
Other than that, the soup looks great. Because I’m being vigilant about not incorporating oil into my cooking, I would saute the the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass with a little water (it works, really!) then add the zucchini, saute a little longer, adding a bit of water if anything begins to stick to the pot. Finally, add potatoes to the pot after adding the vegetable stock so they’ll soften by boiling, adding the peas last so they maintain their color and fresh taste.
Finally, I would use light coconut milk rather than the full-fat type.
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Dan,
Thank you for pointing that out, I have corrected it. And thank you for your feedback. 🙂
pat
The first instruction is to slice the aubergine (eggplant.). Did you mean zucchini?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Sorry about that, Pat. You are right – it’s slice the zucchini. Updated 🙂