This delicious pea soup with wasabi is vibrant and beautiful. The wasabi adds complexity and flavour to the soup and livens it right up!
Wasabi has officially joined the pea soup party!
You’ve probably seen the old pea soup partied it up with veggies, ham, bacon and other ingredients but NOT WASABI. Well, that’s okay because I am here to tell you what a super combination this is!
All you need is some frozen peas, wasabi paste and common pantry staples to create some simple magic in your kitchen.
Don’t worry, these simple ingredients combined together will not disappoint you. This soup is fresh, creamy and so tantalising on the palate. Yes, I cringed when I wrote that last part as I’m not a fan of that type of spiel but I had to as this soup is so damn good!
The wasabi goes so well with the peas. It doesn’t overwhelm the soup, instead, it adds an enjoyable tasty twist.
If that hasn’t convinced you, maybe this will, the pea soup is also healthy, nutritious and budget-friendly!
The soup looks stunning served as a starter, just add a few slices of your favourite bread. Best of all you can serve it piping hot when it’s chilly outside or cold for those hot and humid days.
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The green and mean WASABI
I was so late in getting on board with the popular sushi bandwagon. It’s because at times I like living in my own little bubble and go against the grain. This didn’t go too well because the sushi wagon caught up with me and it ran over me multiple times. I am now an unrecovered sushi addict!
As much as I loved sushi I avoided wasabi at all costs. I knew of its bad reputation and heard horror stories about the wicked green stuff. People told me that wasabi paste causes serious throat burn. Someone also said wasabi is far worse than chilli as it goes straight up the nose and punches you hard in the brain.
So to avoid being brain dead I steered clear of the complimentary sachets of wasabi. I stuck with dipping my sushi in plain soy sauce but peeked curiously at nearby diners who were slathering their raw fish with wasabi.
Just like my cats, curiosity always gets the better of me and I had to try wasabi. Fortunately for me, I had friends that were eager to help me with my ‘wasabi virginity’ so they took me out to a trendy sushi train in the city.
Store-bought wasabi paste is intense and it does go up the nose, so a little goes a long way. It has a strong hot mustard/horseradish taste but it’s flavourful.
So, no I didn’t fall instantly or miraculously in love with wasabi that night. However, like all relationships it took time and when I allowed wasabi in my life I got cheated on…
Can the real Wasabi please stand up?
WASABI IS NOT WASABI? I randomly found a YouTube video clip of an elderly gentleman who owned a wasabi farm in Japan, his name is Shigeo Lida. It was beautifully shot, interesting and informative.
A majority of the wasabi paste distributed around the world including Japan is not actually wasabi but horseradish with green colouring.
Real wasabi root is expensive and Shiego tells us that wasabi has a ‘unique fragrant taste that hits the nose followed by sweetness and spiciness.’ Wasabi must also be eaten immediately after grating as it loses its intense flavour quickly.
So it seems, I am STILL A WASABI VIRGIN!
Oh well, at least the fake wannabe wasabi paste is cheap and does a great job adding flavour to my recipes! like this one and my yummy Wasabi Pickle Mayo recipe.
Ingredients for Pea Soup with Wasabi
Wasabi paste – can be found in local supermarkets, usually in the international food section.
The soup does have a wasabi flavour that hits you, but it’s not intense and it does not overwhelm the soup.
Potatoes – I used Dutch cream potatoes (buttery, all-rounder type of potato) and I have used other varieties too. It still results in the delicious soup but the texture and thickness may change slightly.
Peas – I used a mixture of frozen baby and garden peas, other varieties of frozen peas can be substituted.
Cream – I used pure cream with 40% fat. Thickened, crème fraîche or sour cream can be used as substitutes but may result in a slightly thicker soup.
Chicken stock – I prefer to use salt-reduced chicken stock for cooking as it gives me the freedom to add more salt near the end or leave it as it is. Nothing is worst than having a dish that is too salty after all the hard work you put in!
How to make Pea Soup with Wasabi
Step-by-step guide with photos
In a pot on medium heat melt butter, add in garlic and onion, cook and stir until the onions soften. Add in the stock and the potatoes and let it come to a boil then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Pour in the cream and bring it back to boil. Add peas and let it come to a boil once more and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the pot off the stove and whisk in the wasabi paste, leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Ladle half of the soup into a powerful blender or food processor and blend until smooth, repeat with the remaining soup. Season the soup to your taste and garnish with cream and mint leaves.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 3 days.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
PEA SOUP WITH WASABI
Ingredients
- 40 gm unsalted butter
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped roughly)
- 250 gm potatoes (peeled and cut into small cubes) (NOTE 1)
- 1 litre salt reduced chicken stock (NOTE 2)
- 1 cup pure cream (NOTE 3)
- 2¼ cups frozen peas (NOTE 4)
- 3 tsp wasabi paste (NOTE 5)
- Salt and pepper to season
OPTIONAL GARNISH:
- 2 tbsp pure cream
- mint leaves
Instructions
- In a pot on medium heat melt butter, add in garlic and onion, cook and stir until the onions soften. Add in the stock and the potatoes and let it come to a boil then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Pour in the cream and bring it back to boil. Add peas and let it come to a boil once more and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the pot off the stove and whisk in the wasabi paste, leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- Ladle half of the soup into a powerful blender or food processor and blend until smooth, repeat with the remaining soup. Season the soup to your taste and garnish with cream and mint leaves.
