There’s a tiny coffee kiosk near my work that I have a huge, caffeinated crush on.  It’s called Cafe Vinyl, it’s attached to a record store, and it pumps out funky tunes while you wait for your order.  Tunes I can’t sing along to because I’m not hip enough to know them, but I love soaking up the vibes anyway.  Coolness by osmosis.  It could happen.

Only three staff can fit behind the counter and they barely have room to turn around, never mind dance but man do they make the best soy cappuccino in the west!  Plus the kiosk just looks so damn groovy, you can’t help but feel happy when you’re there.  Check it:

Me & Instagram rocking out at Cafe Vinyl

Every day there’s a different soup special.  The day I took this picture it was Pea & Pesto.  Pea & Pesto?  I raised an eyebrow and pulled a face but it did remind me of a Nigella Lawson recipe for Pea & Pesto Soup I’d seen recently.  At the time I thought it was a very strange combo but if my barista idols thought it was cool, well… maybe I needed to reconsider.

I got my boogie on in the kitchen to create it.  I may not dance to the hippest tunes but my enthusiasm is one hundred percent funky town, baby!

It is therefore with great pleasure that I present to you… a very special performance by Pea & Pesto Soup!
*and the crowd goes wild*

Inspired by Nigella’s Pea & Pesto Soup Recipe and the cool dudes at Cafe Vinyl.

 

For 3 large bowls:

  • 3 – 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 500g frozen peas
  • 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup filtered water
  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional – or more filtered water)
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts (plus more for garnish)
  • Squeeze lemon juice
  1. In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of vegetable stock to the boil.
  2. In the meantime, combine EVOO/filtered water, nutritional yeast, garlic, basil, pine nuts and lemon juice in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  3. Add frozen peas and spring onion to the vegetable stock saucepan and allow to simmer for about 7 minutes.
  4. Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool until it’s safe to add the contents to the blender.
  5. Blend soup and pesto mixes until well combined and hot.  Add more vegetable stock if you prefer a thinner soup.
  6. Pour soup into bowls, garnish with pine nuts, and enjoy!

 
The verdict?  They were both right on the money.  It tastes incredible and is so easy to make!  Who knew green soup could be so rock and roll?  Not Nigella, I bet.  She’s too busy making love to the camera.

Rock on.

 

16 Comments on Rock & Roll Pea & Pesto Soup ♪♫

  1. Amy @ fragrantvanillacake
    August 30, 2012 at 11:28 am (12 years ago)

    This soup sounds delicious! Love the addition of the nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, I need a bowl of this!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:32 am (12 years ago)

      It’s soooo good and so easy, Amy. Jump on it! 🙂

  2. Gabby @ the veggie nook
    August 30, 2012 at 8:51 pm (12 years ago)

    Anything with half a cup of nooch in it has got to be good 😉

    I love the look of that cafe! When I lived in Dublin there was a cafe in a record store called Sound Bites that I just loved!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:34 am (12 years ago)

      Oh how gorgeous! I love the cafes with a bit of personality. And yep, go the nooch! hehe 🙂

  3. Barb@ThatWasVegan
    August 30, 2012 at 10:22 pm (12 years ago)

    Yes, yes yes! This soup is totally a rock star (and so are you!)

  4. Erika
    August 30, 2012 at 11:26 pm (12 years ago)

    Wrote the recipe down, can’t wait to try it! Sounds like perfection on a sunny/cloudy kind of day. I miss the old record stores- glad you have a fun spot near by!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:39 am (12 years ago)

      I miss them too and just hope this one stays in business. This is a lovely spring/autumn soup – nice and fresh and tasty. 🙂

  5. Alaine @ My GF & DF Living
    August 31, 2012 at 12:14 pm (12 years ago)

    I love that you added nutritional yeast to your Pea Soup! This will be perfect for fall. I can’t wait to dive into a bowl of this soup once it gets cool out!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:39 am (12 years ago)

      Abolutely, I love cheezy pesto! hehe You should definitely give it a whirl on your first cool day. It’s so easy to make. 🙂

  6. Sophie
    September 1, 2012 at 4:43 pm (12 years ago)

    It’s great that you added nutritional yeast to your pea soup for added cheezy flavour! You rock, girl!

    I will use fresh peas from my garden instead of the frozen peas! 🙂 Yummy yum!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:40 am (12 years ago)

      haha, thank you Sophie, and you are inspiring me again to get my own garden happening! Fresh peas, oh yum!

  7. Kristy
    September 2, 2012 at 9:09 am (12 years ago)

    My last employer used to make a pesto broccoli soup which was good, but seeing as how I love peas much more than broccoli, this sounds like it would totally rock my world. Awesome!

    • * Vegan Sparkles *
      September 3, 2012 at 9:41 am (12 years ago)

      I’ve tried broccoli & pesto too and it was delish but I actually think I like the pea one more so if you’re a pea fan, Kristy, you’ve just gotta try it! 🙂

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