Vegetarian Yellow Split Pea Soup

Yellow vegetarian split pea soup

ajiravan / Getty Images 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Peas are one of the oldest crops cultivated by humans, having been eaten in some form as early as 9000 B.C.E. Split pea soup has been traced back to ancient Greek and Roman societies. Also, you may even remember it from the popular Mother Goose nursery rhyme, "Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold," which is a nod to the versatility of the dish.

This recipe is made from dried yellow peas that have been peeled and split. This vegetarian hot soup recipe is perfect for cold days, lean budgets, or anyone looking for a heartily healthy vegan dish for lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients

  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water, plus more if needed
  • 2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
  • 2 large carrots (finely chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 2 1/2 cups dried yellow split peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Place the broth, water, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.

  2. Add the dried split peas, turn down the heat, and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the peas are very soft. Add salt, cumin, red pepper powder, and black pepper to taste.

  3. Using a potato masher or the back of a metal spoon, mash the peas for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the soup is creamy, adding more water as necessary. Alternatively, you can choose to purée a little more than half of the soup in a blender and then mix it with the un-puréed portion.

  4. Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with bread or rice.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tip

  • This recipe is suitable for dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan diets, but as with any recipe intended for persons with allergies or dietary restrictions, make sure to read all nutritional labels carefully to make sure that there are no hidden dairy-derived ingredients (or other allergens, if these apply to you). Some hidden dairy ingredients words to steer clear from in ingredients lists are whey protein, casein, and lacto- anything as a prefix. Lacto is the Latin word for milk.

Recipe Variations

  • Feel free to add other vegetables like chopped potatoes or pieces of vegetarian meat substitutes to add another dimension of flavor and texture to the soup.
  • Experiment with your spice drawer. Feel free to add a pinch here and there to change up the flavor profile as you prepare different batches. A nice addition is ground red pepper and a bit of cumin, which turns a traditional pea soup into a uniquely different spicier version of the classic. Two or three sprigs of aromatic fresh herbs such as rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and parsley are other great additions.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
93 Calories
1g Fat
17g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 93
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 712mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Protein 6g
Calcium 71mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)