split pea soup recipe vegetarian

VEGGIES AND SPLIT PEAS:

In a large (5.5 quart or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat, add olive oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt/pepper to taste (I add 2 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp pepper). Cook until vegetables are softened and onion is beginning to turn golden, 7-9 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, cumin, thyme, red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

COOK:

Add in rinsed split peas and bay leaves. Pour in vegetable stock. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 60-90 minutes (Note 2), stirring occasionally so the peas don’t catch on the bottom of the pot. The soup should be ever so slightly bubbling at the edges, but not rapidly boiling or bubbling. Cook until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. (You’ll want to stir a bit more frequently as the soup begins to thicken. Add a splash more broth if it gets too thick for your preference.)

BLEND:

When ready to serve, remove and discard bay leaves. Remove 2 cups of the soup and blend until completely smooth (Note 3). Return blended puree to the soup and mix through. Add in 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice if using. Taste and season, adding additional salt/pepper as needed (I typically add another 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).

SERVE:

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with buttered crusty bread, a sprinkle of cracked pepper, and fresh parsley or thyme if using. Add grated Parmesan cheese to individual bowls if desired. Enjoy!

STORAGE:

This soup stores nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, add the soup to a small pot and heat over low heat until warmed to desired preference. Or reheat in the microwave (make sure to cover it so it doesn’t splatter!) It does thicken as it stores, so you’ll need to add in some additional vegetable stock to thin. Freezing: Soup will freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Here are some best methods for thawing frozen soup.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Add olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Add the split peas and water. Bring to a boil, dial down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through (but still a touch al dente).

Using a large cup or mug ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup that is still remaining in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree – you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time – there are times I need to add up to 3 1/2 cups extra.

Stir in the lemon juice and taste. If the soup needs more salt (likely), add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops.

Do Split Peas Need to Be Soaked Before Cooking?

The short answer is no, they don’t.  They are a fairly soft legume, so cook fairly quickly. Split peas cook in about an hour and a half, but if you want to shorten the cooking time and have the ability to plan ahead, soaking them in water to cover for several hours can speed up the cooking time.  If you soak them for 24 hours, the cooking time should be reduced to about 45 minutes.

Is split pea soup healthy?

Homemade vegetarian split pea soup is loaded with dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. So, yes, it has a lot of nutritional value. Just be careful with canned or restaurant versions as they tend to have a lot a salt, especially if they contain ham. Here are the health benefits of green split peas according to Livestrong.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe

Instructions

CHOP VEGETABLES:

Dice carrots, celery and onion into 1/2 inch/1.3cm pieces – and mince the garlic

Cut vegetables into 2 inch/5 cm pieces and pulse them in the processor (this is a big shortcut so my preference!). I process onions in one batch, then carrots, garlic and celery in another. I leave a few larger chunks of carrots and celery to have some vegetables that hold their shape in the finished soup. If you plan to blend the soup into a purée, however, there’s no need.

COOK ON STOVE TOP: (see Note 1 and 2 for other cooking methods)

Sauté veggies: Heat oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and sauté 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and garlic and sauté 4-5 minutes. Shortcut: skip this step (and skip the oil) and just add everything to the pot and cook. Sautéing adds flavor though.

Add broth and seasonings, then cook: Add peas, broth, water, dill and seasonings to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low (3/10) for 1 1/2-2 hours, until vegetables and peas are soft. If too watery, continue to cook for 15-20 minutes with lid off or partially covering the pot. But note that soup will thicken on standing or in fridge. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasonings to your taste.

SERVE: If you like chunkier soup, serve as is. If you prefer creamier soup, blend soup in processor (in batches), blender or with stick immersion blender. Alternatively, do half and half – blend half the soup to creamy, then combine with the unblended chunky half. Serve with croutons, biscuits, a warm crusty loaf bread or cornbread.

split pea soup recipe vegetarian slow cooker

Full of protein and virtually fat free, this vegan split pea soup can be made right in your slow cooker or on the stovetop. It’s nourishing, flavorful and so easy to make!

INSTRUCTIONS

This soup can be prepared 3 different ways:

Slow Cooker:

• Place ingredients into the bottom of your crock pot, starting with the split peas and finishing with the broth. Heat on low for 7 – 8 hours or high for 4 – 5 hours. Add parsley 30 minutes before done. Let soup cool slightly and remove bay leaves.
• Using an immersion blender, carefully, as to not burn yourself, puree soup until desired consistency. You can also puree using a food/processor or blender, may take two batches. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Soup will thicken upon standing.

Stovetop:

• In a dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, cabbage and herbs, and saute, stirring frequently, for 3 -4 minutes. Add the split peas, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce and vegetable broth.
• Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley 30 minutes before removing from heat. Let soup cool slightly and remove bay leaves.
• Using an immersion blender, carefully, as to not burn yourself, puree soup until desired consistency. You can also puree using a food/processor or blender, may take two batches. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Soup will thicken upon standing.

Instant Pot:

• Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, saute for 4 – 5 minutes (feel free to skip this step entirely).
• Add split peas, cabbage, herbs de provence, bay leaves, and at least 5 cups of broth, and stir to combine.
• Attach lid and turn to lock, set the valve to SEALING, and manually set to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to desired consistency. Alternatively, puree using a food processor or blender (may take 2 – 3 bathes).

Split Pea Nutrition

Peas are an excellent legume to add to your diet! Yep, you read correctly… despite what most people think, peas are actually a legume and not a vegetable. They fall into the same category as lentils, chickpeas and even peanuts! However, most often peas are categorized as a starchy vegetable, similar to corn and potatoes.

Split peas pack a nutritional punch! They have a higher protein content at 8 grams per half cup serving and a high fiber content at 16 grams of dietary fiber per serving. Plus, you’ll find vitamins A, K and C, thiamine, folate, manganese, iron, potassium and phosphorus in peas!

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