By Andy Politi

Healthy Student Recipes: Perfect Pea & Ham Soup

Try this simple, healthy soup and show your housemates that eating your greens doesn't have to be boring!

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 600g frozen peas
  • 300ml water
  • 1 Knorr stock pot
  • 6 slices of ham
  • 200g spinach

How to make it

  1. Boil the water in a large pan and add the stock pot.
  2. Add the peas and spinach.
  3. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well.
  4. Pour everything into a food processor and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add a little more water.
  5. Slice the ham so it's ready to go on top of your soup - it should look like it does in our picture!
  6. Warm your soup in the microwave for 2 minutes on full power. Check that it's piping hot throughout. If it isn't, stir it and give it another 30 seconds.
  7. Top with the sliced ham and serve.

What makes this soup so great?

It's good for you


Everyone knows that green vegetables are good for you and peas are one the best you'll find. They're full of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B vitamins, fibre, magnesium, potassium and iron - in fact, it'd probably be quicker to tell you what's not in them! Peas and ham are also great sources of protein, which your body needs to recharge and regenerate after a long, tiring day of living your student life to the max!

The extra spinach is a great way top up your iron, which your blood needs to transport oxygen to where it's needed. You can get iron from red meat too, but you won't find many students blowing their budget on steak every night. This is a much cheaper way to get what you need.

It's cheap


Peas, ham and spinach aren't going to break the bank and water's free. That makes this is a really affordable meal that'll leave you with plenty of spare cash to spend on making the most of your university experience.

It's quick and easy


It's not always easy to find time for cooking. It's often the thing that's sacrificed in favour of studying and socialising. This recipe is designed not to take up too much of your time.

After all, it's just mixing a few things together and microwaving it. While not exactly Michelin-star level, it's healthy, tasty and filling. Not bad for 15 minutes of work!

It doesn't take up much space


As flat politics goes, the division of fridge and freezer space is one of your key issues. There's always one person who crams the shelves full of stuff with no real idea of how and when they'll use it.

With this recipe, you'll never be that person. A packet of ham and a bag of spinach don't take up much space at all, while you can get a bag of frozen peas for everyone to share. Congratulations on being such a brilliant, considerate flatmate!

Looking for something more substantial?

This soup makes a nice lunch, but if you're after a bigger, heartier meal, we've got just the thing. Try making a big pot of this tasty sausage casserole. Trust us, you'll be the most popular person in your house!