A mouthwateringly easy pea and courgette soup flavoured with pesto, makes the ideal lighter soup. Full of nutritious ingredients, fibre and plant protein which is always great for blood sugars. This quick soup really is the perfect spring or summertime lunch!
This pea and courgette soup is a really straightforward recipe, that with minimal effort gets my family eating plenty of goodness in one meal. It is loaded with nutritious vegetables and white beans, is simple to make and can be on the table in 15 minutes or less!
This soup has been flavoured with pesto which I always love with peas. I use a shop-bought version for ease but you can also make your own. I love this pesto recipe from Tescos. The Pesto adds an extra creaminess to this soup which my family love. And maybe you could add some extra parmesan or a splash of chilli sauce for another added flavour kick.
We love this soup served with a warm piece of toast or hunk of sourdough for a deliciously filling lunch.
Why I love homemade soup
I always feel that by making my own soup I am getting the maximum benefits of the nutrients from my veg.
This Soup recipe is loaded with nutrients and fibre which all help when managing our blood glucose levels.
But above all else, it tastes fantastic too!
I am always looking for ways to get more veg in our meals and soup is yet another easy and brilliant way to do this. Plus it makes a nice change from a sandwich at lunch.
And if like me, you’re also looking for different ways on how to eat more plants, make sure to read my helpful tips.
Another great thing about homemade soup is it helps you to reduce food waste! I don’t know about you but my vegetable drawer has often got random leftovers rolling around in it and soup is one of those brilliant recipes that can use up all those little bits and pieces.
So if you have some random green veg lurking at the back why not just add it in? I am sure it will taste great and it’s less food wasted. Or alternatively, take a look at my other soup recipes.
What you will need to make Pea and Courgette Soup
- Olive oil
- One of my favourites
- Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats
- Spring onions
- Offering a slightly lighter flavour than onions in this soup
- They are also quicker to cook
- Celery
- Offers a delicate flavour brilliant in stocks, casseroles and soups
- Vegetable Stock cubes
- Basis of any great soup
- I like the Knorr stock pots
- Frozen peas
- Rich in lots of essential vitamins and minerals as well as fibre and plant protein
- Freezing the peas as soon as they are picked helps to keep the nutrients intact
- White Beans
- A store cupboard staple as they are a great source of protein, fibre, are low GI and low in saturated fat
- Also brilliant for cheaply bulking out any dish
- I used cannellini and butter beans
- Green Pesto
- A delicious blend of basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan
- Adds a lovely herby creaminess to this soup
- Courgette
- One of my favourite green veggies
- They are nutrient-dense, which means they contain a wealth of essential nutrients
Equipment Needed
Chopping Board
Large Saucepan
Vegetable Spriraliser
What is a spiraliser?
The spraliser is an inexpensive kitchen tool that simply creates long spiralised lengths of your chosen vegetables into fake noodles. It basically works like a giant pencil sharpener, rotating the vegetable against sharp serrated blades to produce the vegetable noodles (or shavings).
They became very popular with the rise of Keto diets, but don’t be put off by this past as I can assure you that they aren’t just for the carb adverse.
A spiraliser is a really great tool to add to your kitchen cupboard. They aren’t too big so not too hard to store. They come in the manual form as pictured here or you can, of course, get an electric version.
But I have to say my Lidl middle aisle hand crank spiraliser is brilliant. In fact, I would go to say better than the electric versions I have used that waste so much of the veg. I found a similar inexpensive version here.
Why not try my other delicious spiralised courgette recipe:
SPIRALISED RAW SUMMER COURGETTE SALAD
Enjoy luscious long lengths of courgette, smothered in a pesto and artichoke dressing with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella.
How to make Pea and Courgette Soup
As with all my soup recipes here on WHK this is very easy to make. In fact, this might be the quickest and easiest soup, without the need for any blitzing.
Start by heating a good glug of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the spring onions and celery. Place a lid on the pan and gently sweat the vegetables on a low heat for 5 minutes.
When the vegetables are softened add the vegetable stock with around 1.2 litres of boiling water and stir well to dissolve the cubes. Turn the heat up to keep it simmering. Then add the frozen peas, drained white beans and pesto. Stir really well
Finally, when the soup is gently bubbling, add the spiralised courgette and heat through for a minute or so. And that it is. Just remove from the heat and serve.
Serving and Recipe Tips
This Pea and Courgette soup is delicious served with some warm bread or toast. And even with a couple of my Cheese Biscuits if you are looking for a totally carb count free lunch.
You could also top your soup with some extra parmesan shaving or a little chilli sauce or flakes for a slight spicy kick
If you don’t have a spiraliser then just thinly slice (or use the slicer side on your grater) the courgette.
More Easy & Delicious Diabetic Recipes for BALANCED Blood SugARS:
How to store homemade soup
Homemade soup is a great make-in-advance meal and can happily be stored in either the fridge or freezer. But as with all food that is stored in the fridge or freezer, make sure it is completely cool before you put it in.
IN THE FRIDGE
Transfer your soup to an airtight container. I have a Tupperware jug and lid that fits beautifully in the fridge door which is just so handy for soup.
Leave in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl or back in a saucepan on the hob.
IN THE FREEZER
You can also freeze the soup for 3 to 4 months in portions. I like to use specific freezer bags for soups and sauces.
Diabetes Note
A no-carb count soup, that is perfectly filling but in my opinion is even better with some crusty bread for soaking up the delicious broth.
The only ingredient that you may want to count for is the pesto. Obviously, the carb count varies depending on the one you use and how much you like to add. Based on the pesto I used the Net Carb Count amount was below 1g per serving. However, as always you know best what you need to count for.
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