Vegan Split Pea Soup

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This vegan split pea soup is made with tender split peas and fresh vegetables and is the perfect cozy recipe for chilly days. It’s healthy, hearty, packed with flavor and comes together quickly!

This weather has me craving all of the cozy, comforting recipes right now and my current obsession = this vegan split pea soup. I love the flavors and heartiness it provides and it’s seriously so easy to whip up. Plus, the whole family loves it (including Liv!) which makes things a lot easier when it comes to dinner time!

Traditional split pea soup is typically made with ham slices, ham hock or ham bone, but I’m not a huge ham person, so I decided to make a vegan version with smoked paprika and tamari, which gives this soup a nice smoky, rich flavor.

An overhead photo of a bowl of vegan split pea soup.

Why You’ll Love This Split Pea Soup Recipe

  • It’s packed full of flavor, fiber and protein.
  • It’s a one pot meal. Yay for minimal dishes!
  • Great for meal prep – make one batch and enjoy this healthy soup all week long!
Hands holding a bowl of vegan split pea soup.

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! (source)

Ingredients measured out to make split pea soup: carrots, pepper, oregano, parsley, lemon, salt, paprika, parmesan, bay leaves, celery, olive oil, tamari, olive oil, split peas, vegetable broth, garlic and onion.

Ingredients Needed

  • green split peas â€“ the star of the show! For this recipe we’re using a 1 pound bag of dry split peas, which you can find in the dry bean aisle at your grocery store. If you can’t find green split peas, yellow split peas will also work. Yellow split peas have a more earthy flavor than green split peas.
  • olive oil – for sautéing the vegetables. You can also use ghee or vegan butter.
  • yellow onion, celery, carrots, and garlic – the fresh veggies we’re using to pack in flavor and nutrients.
  • seasonings and spices â€“ bay leaves, black pepper, sea salt, thyme, oregano, and paprika.
  • vegetable broth – I recommend using low sodium so you can control the saltiness of the soup. You can also use chicken broth if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan.
  • tamari – since we’re skipping the meat, the tamari adds a nice rich, umami flavor to this soup! Soy sauce or coconut aminos will also work. Use gluten-free tamari if necessary!
  • fresh lemon juice â€“ I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. A splash of lemon juice adds a necessary acidity to the soup that brightens the rest of the flavors.
  • optional toppings â€“ cracked pepper, parmesan (try my hemp parmesan for a vegan option), and fresh parsley.
Collage of four photos showing the steps to make split pea soup.

How to Make Split Soup

Sauté vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat on your stove top. Sauté the onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot. Stirring occasionally until onions become translucent and everything begins to soften about 5-7 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients: Add bay leaves, pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, paprika and split peas. Stirring constantly for an additional minute. Then add vegetable broth to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until peas are tender about 60 minutes. Then stir in tamari and lemon juice.

Serve: Divide into bowls and top with parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and fresh parsley (if using).

A bowl of vegan split pea soup.

FAQ’s

Do I need to soak my split peas before cooking?

No! Since they are already split open, split peas cook quickly and don’t require any soaking!

How can I make this soup smooth?

I like a little texture to my soup, but if prefer a silky smooth soup you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup!

A bowl of vegan split pea soup.

How to Serve

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but you can never go wrong with toppings and a side! Here are some suggestions:

How to Store Leftovers

This soup is a great meal prep recipe. I like to make a batch over the weekend so I have easy lunches and dinners ready to go for the week. Allow the soup to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Be sure to check out all of the soup recipes on EBF!

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4.95 from 17 votes

Vegan Split Pea Soup

This vegan split pea soup is made with tender split peas and fresh vegetables and is the perfect cozy recipe for chilly days. It's healthy, hearty, packed with flavor and comes together quickly!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 lb bag dry split peas, rinsed
  • 6 cups vegetable broth, plus more as desired to thin
  • 2 teaspoons tamari
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Cracked pepper, parmesan, chopped fresh parsley, for topping

Instructions 

  • Add olive oil to a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until everything begins to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
    Sautéing onion, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil in a large pot.
  • Add bay leaves, pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, paprika and split peas. Cook another minute, stirring constantly.
    Bay leaves, pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, paprika and split peas added to large pot.
  • Add vegetable broth to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until peas are very soft, about 60 minutes.
    Vegetable broth being added to large pot.
  • Once pea have softened stir in tamari and lemon juice.
    Tamari and lemon juice added to large pot containing split pea soup.
  • To serve, ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese, cracked pepper and fresh parsley (if using).

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 1350mg | Fiber: 32g | Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan split pea soup
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! I used 8 cups of liquid – 4 cups of water and 4 cups of stock – since split pea always thickens up as it sets and I like mine a little looser. I used coconut aminos and that gave it the smoky meat flavor and a touch of sweetness. the lemon juice really brightens it up.

    1. Woo! Thanks for sharing your changes, Steph. The coconut aminos sound like a delicious addition. I appreciate you coming back to leave a review and star rating!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve made a few split pea soups, and this one was the best, by FAR! Split pea soup is a very nostalgic meal for me and I remember my nana’s always being thick and hearty- exactly how this turned out! I would give 6 stars if I could!

    1. Yay! I am thrilled to hear this, Anissa! I really appreciate you taking them time to come back and leave a review, it means the world to me.

    1. Oh yay! So glad you enjoyed this soup, Sherry. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!

  3. 5 stars
    This was a wonderful recipe!
    I made a few changes because I’m pregnant and breastfeeding. Instead of garlic I used Hing, replaced the onion with fennel and didn’t add the paprika. I also didn’t have tamari so I used coconut aminos. And made it on the instapot. It was delicious.

    1. So glad you enjoyed this soup, Ashley. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!

  4. 5 stars
    Wow! Brittany, this is THE BEST split pea soup recipe!! What a great blending of flavors that makes this soup so delicious! The thyme and oregano with the smoked paprika, tamari (Braggs in my case) and the fresh taste of the lemon…… perfect. Can’t wait to have it again for dinner tonight!! Thank you for sharing.

    1. WOO! This means so much to me and I am glad to hear this soup turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it!