This Healthy Pesto Pea Soup is just 144 calories for 2 cups! Plus I supplied you with lots of toppings, tips to boost the protein. I also supplied vegan and low sodium modifications!
Everything You’ll Need
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 4 cups vegetable stock – Low sodium and chicken stock will also work well.
- 4 cups frozen peas – You can use fresh peas if you like.
- 1 garlic clove – Garlic Powder will also work, cut the amount in 1/2.
- 1 green onion – You can skip if you don’t like onion. Or add 1 tablespoon chopped onion and blend with peas.
- ⅓ cup basil leaves – Fresh really is best in this recipe, but you can swap it for dried, use 1/2 the amount.
- 2 cups baby spinach – You can skip it if you like, the recipe is good with or without the spinach.
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese – You can skip it and add a pinch of salt, or juice of 1/4 lemon.
- Pepper to taste – Use fresh ground pepper if you have it for best flavor.
- Toppings & Metric Measurements in Recipe Card Below
Tools You’ll Need:
- Large Pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large spoon (ideally wooden spoon)
- Immersion Blender (counter blender will also work)
- Ladle
Healthy Pesto Pea Soup
Low Calorie Pea Soup Recipe Variations
Low Carb Pesto Pea Soup
This recipe is mostly vegetables, and so it will naturally have some healthy carbs. But you can keep individual servings low carb by using low carb toppings (skip the croutons) and you can balance the nutrition out more buy boosting the protein. Add 1-2 scoops of unflavored collagen powder to the soup before blending.
Low Sodium Pesto Pea Soup
To cut the sodium in this recipe you can omit the parmesan cheese and replace it with fresh lemon juice. I like to add the juice of 1/4 lemon to the pot and mix in just before serving. And I serve with lemon wedges for adding in more yummy juice.
Vegan Pesto Pea Soup
To make this pea soup vegan, skip the Parmesan cheese and add in 1/4 teaspoon salt in its place. You can also remove the cheese and add in lemon juice in its place. And finally, you can add your favorite vegan cheese to the tops of individual servings.
High Protein Pesto Pea Soup
To boost the protein in this pesto soup, add in 1-2 scoops of unflavored collagen powder to the soup just before blending. You can also add protein packed toppings like Greek yogurt and walnuts.
Low Sugar Pesto Pea Soup
There is no sugar added in this pea soup recipe, so all of the sugar comes from the peas themselves. You can swap out 1 cup of peas for more spinach to reduce some sugar. And you can also balance out the sugar and protein more by adding in 1-2 scoops of unflavored collagen powder before blending the soup.
Low Calorie Pea Soup Meal Prep & Storage
This soup stores in the fridge and freezer very well!
Meal Prep – Make the soup and blend as directed. Cool completely and add to air tight containers or freezer bags (in single or family sized servings) and store in the fridge or freezer.
Freezer Storage – I like to store these in freezer bags. I lay them flat and once frozen they are thin and easy to fit in the freezer. Airtight containers will also work, but be sure that they are only 2/3 full as the soup will expand as it freezes.
Refrigerator Storage – Will hold for 6 days in the fridge.
Reheat – Add fresh or frozen soup to a medium or large pot and heat over low heat until hot and bubbling (5-10 minutes). Or microwave for 3 minutes defrosted, or 6-7 minutes for frozen soup, stopping and mixing 2 times to avoid burning.
Healthy Pea Soup Recipe
More Low Calorie Soup Recipes:
Low Calorie Pesto Pea Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cups frozen peas
- 1 green onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅓ cup packed basil leaves
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional Toppings:
- Low Calorie Croutons
- Chopped Walnuts
- Greek Yogurt
- More Parmesan Cheese
- Chopped Basil
- Sliced Green Onions
Serve With:
Instructions
- To a large pot combine the vegetable stock, frozen peas, green onion, and garlic clove.
- Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
- Remove the green onion and discard.
- Add in the basil leaves, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
- Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (Alternatively, you can cool the soup and then move it to a countertop blender.)
- Taste and add pepper, then serve hot with desired toppings.
Nutrition
About the Author
Hi, my name is Audrey Johns and I am a 4 time best selling cookbook author! All 4 of my low calorie cookbooks are published by HarperCollins (the oldest publishing house in the US!) and have been featured on prominent TV shows like The Today Show, Rachael Ray and The Doctors. I am a low calorie and healthy recipe authority and my delicious recipes are tried and loved by thousands of readers.
After a one year 150 pound weight loss (and I’ve kept it off for 13 years!) I started sharing all of my low calorie recipes with the world. They are always all-natural and geared around weight loss and weight management. I have even made some of these recipes with my Biggest Loser pal Bob Harper! Check out my weight loss story, my best selling cookbooks, and my numerous TV appearances by clicking here.
Nutrition and Calories in Pea Soup
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Article History:
- Originally written and published September 26, 2023 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on November 6, 2023 by Audrey Johns
