Make Vegan Split Pea Soup, Budget, Ingredients

$3.16 RECIPE / $0.63 SERVING

Split peas are an underappreciated legume as they cook quickly, making beautifully thick and warming soups, and are high in fiber and protein.

While I’ve cooked several variations of split pea soup in the past, this vegan split pea soup is by far the most straightforward.

It’s a straightforward, fundamental dish that you can create even if you’re emotionally or physically exhausted. Even the smell of it boiling away on your stovetop is soothing. 🙂

WHAT ARE SPLIT PEAS, EXACTLY?

Split peas are green peas that have been dried and split in half, as the name implies.

They’re on the dry bean aisle, right next to packs of other dry bean varieties. Green split peas and yellow split peas are both available and both work well in this dish.

Split peas are fantastic to cook with since they cook rapidly without soaking and break down and thicken soups quickly because they’re already split open.

They’re the most convenient method to get your daily legume fixed!

NO HAM??????

As previously stated, this is not my first attempt at split pea soup. A great split pea soup can be made in a variety of ways, but the majority of them include pig for flavor.

To give this vegan split pea soup a lot of flavors, I used a variety of herbs and spices, including smoked paprika, which has a smokey flavor comparable to bacon or ham. You may also add a spoonful of coconut oil to your soup if you want it to be particularly rich.

With a variety of veggies and a handful of herbs and spices, this soup makes its flavorful broth, but if you want to amp it up, even more, substitute the water in the recipe below with vegetable broth.

Remember that broth typically contains salt, so you’ll want to add less salt at the end. Because vegetable broth is generally quite dark, your soup will be less brilliant in color.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR SPLIT PEA SOUP

This rich and savory soup is so comforting that you’ll need some crackers or crusty bread to sop it up! Saltines or oyster crackers are fantastic, but so are homemade croutons or a loaf of handmade bread, such as Homemade Focaccia, for dunking.

VEGAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Chop the onion, celery, and carrots into small pieces. In a large pot, combine the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with the olive oil and cook for about five minutes, or until the onions are tender.
2. In a large pot, combine the dry split peas, smoked paprika, parsley, oregano, thyme, pepper, and water. To blend, stir everything together.
3. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. When the soup reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring periodically, for 45 minutes, or until the peas have completely broken down and the soup is thick (keep the lid on between stirs).
4. Season the soup with salt to taste, starting with 1/2 teaspoon. I used about 1.5 teaspoons. Serve with toasted bread or crackers for dipping!

NUTRITION

• Serving: 1.5 cups
• Calories: 390 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 62 g
• Protein: 23 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Sodium: 771 mg
• Fiber: 25 g

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING VEGAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

1. Begin by slicing one yellow onion, three celery ribs, and three carrots, as well as mincing two garlic cloves. Toss them in a large soup saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Over medium heat, sauté the vegetables until the onions are tender.
3. 1 pound split peas, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, and 6 cups water.
4. Stir everything together, then cover with a lid and heat on medium-high to bring the soup to a boil.
5. Once the soup has reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring regularly, for 45 minutes, or until the peas have completely broken down and the soup has thickened.
6. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add more as needed until the soup is bright and colorful. I added 1.5 teaspoons and it was perfect! Fresh parsley can be used as a garnish if preferred, but it isn’t necessary for flavor.
7. Serve with dipping crackers, croutons, or crusty toast!