Chilled Green Pea Soup with Cucumber

Three green things and a blender. That’s it. Comes together in 40 minutes flat and tastes like summer actually showed up on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This Chilled Green Pea Soup

Vegan. Completely. No sneaking dairy in anywhere. Takes 15 minutes to prep, 25 in the blender and fridge—basically, you’re done before lunch even starts. Healthy but doesn’t taste like punishment. Tastes like cilantro and basil actually matter. Works as an appetizer before something heavier, or just eat the whole bowl cold on a hot day. Summer ingredient. Pulls the season into a bowl. That’s the whole thing.

What You Need for This Green Soup

Cucumbers. Peeled. The skin gets bitter when it sits cold. Green bell pepper. Not red. The sweetness throws it off. Green chili—one. Seeds out or leave them if you like heat. Your call. Cilantro and basil. Fresh. Both. Not one or the other. Cilantro alone tastes thin. A single garlic clove. More and it takes over. Vegetable broth. A cup. Olive oil goes in at the end while it’s blending. Lemon juice. Two and a half tablespoons. Keeps it bright. Salt. Pepper. Two pinches of salt minimum.

For serving: avocado diced, radishes sliced thin, chili powder to finish. The radishes add crunch. Everything else is soft.

How to Make Chilled Green Pea Soup

Chop the cucumber first. Seed and dice the bell pepper—this part takes longer than it should. Green chili, minced fine. Cilantro gets roughly chopped, basil just packed in there. Garlic goes in last, just one clove minced small.

Dump everything into the blender. Cucumber, pepper, chili, the herbs, garlic. Pour the vegetable broth over it. Add the lemon juice. Don’t blend yet.

Now drizzle the olive oil in while it’s running. This is the part that matters. Oil blending in while the blades are moving gives it body. Stop. Taste. The texture should be smooth but still feel substantial, not like watered-down green juice.

How to Get the Flavor Right

Adjust with more broth if it’s too thick. Add a splash. Blend again. Not much. It should pour but not run.

Salt goes in now. A pinch. Taste. Probably needs more. Add another pinch. Pepper cracks over it. Taste again because these flavors shift once it gets cold.

Chill it. At least 20 minutes but longer is better. Overnight works. The flavors actually deepen in the cold. Not sure why but they do.

Chilled Green Soup Tips and What Goes Wrong

Don’t skip blending the oil in while the motor’s running. If you dump it all in cold, it separates and sits on top like an accident.

The chili—taste as you go. One sounds small but it’s enough. Can always add heat. Can’t take it back.

Avocado browns if you prep it too early. Cut it right before serving. Same with the radishes. Slice them close to when you actually eat.

The soup keeps three days in the fridge. Maybe four. After that it starts turning that dull green. Not bad. Just looks tired.

Reheat? Don’t. It’s not that kind of soup. Cold is the entire point.

Chilled Green Pea Soup with Cucumber

By Emma Kitchen

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

25 min

Total:

40 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• For the soup
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 green chili, seeded and minced
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) fresh basil, packed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 220 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
• 35 ml (2 1/2 tbsp) lemon juice
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 1-2 g pinches of salt
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste
• For garnishing
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup radishes, sliced
• Chili powder for sprinkling

Method

1. For the soup
2. 1 In a blender, combine cucumber, bell pepper, green chili, cilantro, basil, and garlic.
3. 2 Add vegetable broth and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
4. 3 Drizzle in olive oil while blending. Adjust consistency with more broth if needed.
5. 4 Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors.
6. For serving
7. 5 Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
8. 6 To serve, pour soup into bowls. Top with diced avocado and sliced radishes.
9. 7 Sprinkle chili powder over the toppings. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information

Calories

160

Protein

4g

Carbs

14g

Fat

12g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Chilled Green Soup

Can I use frozen peas instead? This isn’t a pea soup. It’s cucumber and herbs. Peas would change everything. Don’t.

Do I have to use basil? Cilantro alone works. Tastes different. Greener, sharper. Basil rounds it out and you lose that edge.

What if I don’t have a blender? Food processor works but it won’t be as smooth. Might be grainy. Depends on your processor though.

Can I make this the night before? Yeah. It actually tastes better the next day. Flavors settle. Just make the avocado and radishes when you’re eating it.

How thick should it be? Like heavy cream. Pours but holds. If it’s runny, add a touch more broth and blend again. If it doesn’t pour, you need more broth.

Is it really vegan? Yes. Everything in it. Oil’s olive oil. Broth’s vegetable. Avocado’s fruit. No animal anywhere.