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This Spring Pea Soup bridges the gap between winter and spring- using a unique combination of dried split peas with fresh peas. Fennel and Tarragon give it delicious complexity and flavor! Vegan Adaptable!
We are not here to fit in, be well balanced, or provide examples for others. We are here to be eccentric, different, perhaps strange, perhaps merely to add our small piece, our little clunky, chunky selves, to the great mosaic of being. As the gods intended, we are here to become more and more ourselves.~
James Hollis
This recipe for Spring Pea Soup with Fennel and Tarragon is made with a combination of split peas and fresh peas (or use frozen!). It’s full of flavor while remaining low in fat and calories, and the fiber from the split peas makes it filling and satisfying.
Fennel bulb adds another layer of flavor, a bit of complexity that split peas often need, and while I do prefer chicken broth here, veggie broth can be substituted for a vegan version. For those who crave a little extra richness, a couple of teaspoons of creme fraiche (or sour cream) can go a long way. The finishing touch is a drizzle of truffle oil. This, of course, is optional, but worth the splurge.
This soup has been “brightened-up” with a puree of fresh (or frozen) peas and tarragon, added to the split pea soup, which gives the soup a bit of much-needed color as well as a silkier texture. If you like a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to blend it up.
For a fancier presentation, garnish the Spring Pea Soup with tarragon leaves, microgreens, truffle oil and a drizzle of creme fraiche.

Spring Pea Soup!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 75 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Description
This Spring Pea Soup bridges the gap between winter and spring- using a unique combination of dried split peas with fresh peas. Fennel and Tarragon give it delicious complexity and flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced (white or yellow)
- 1 cup celery diced (2 stalks)
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely diced (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cups chicken or veggie broth or stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup split peas
- ——-
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons fresh tarragon
- garnish with fresh tarragon leaves, creme fraiche, and a drizzle of truffle oil (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, saute the onion, celery and fennel in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add broth and water, split peas and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Cover, simmer on medium low heat 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking and giving a stir after 1 hour.
- In a blender, add 1 cup water, 2 cups frozen peas and the fresh tarragon, and blend until smooth. This will give the soup a bright green color.
- At this point you could also blend the rest of the soup for a smooth consistency, or simply add the blended frozen pea/tarragon mixture directly into the soup pot. Taste, adjust salt.
- Gently warm it up before serving taking care not to over boil or you will loose the lovely green color.
- Garnish with fresh tarragon, and a drizzle of truffle oil (optional).
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 271
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 503.6 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.5 g
- Fiber: 11.7 g
- Protein: 15.1 g
- Cholesterol: 4.8 mg
Keywords: spring pea soup, split pea soup
Looking forward to trying it, but wondering about the “Vegan” description when the recipe contains Chicken Broth?
★★★
Sorry it should have said “optional”.
Wow, this is really stunning! Split pea soup has never looked so sexy. Really nice!
★★★★★
Beautiful photo! Makes me want to eat it!
Ohhh, what lovely presentation – beautiful! And, once again, I’ve been hoping to find a recipe that adds … fennel this time. Thank you so much 🙂 . I look forward to trying this one at a future date. Hope your having a lovely weekend.
Thanks Heather! you as well!
Sounds so good! Need to try it once! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★