Vegan Split Pea Soup

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Vegan split pea soup is a hearty, healthy, and protein-packed meal that’s great for meal prep. Creamy split peas, tender potatoes, and other vegetables are flavored with fresh herbs, making for one unforgettable recipe!

💚 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Healthy: Vegan split pea soup is packed with fiber, plant-based protein, vitamins, and minerals. Add it to your weekly rotation for a balanced lunch or dinner. 
• Meal prep ready: Make a double or triple batch on your day off, and watch as your time in the kitchen dwindles to nothing all week.
• Budget-friendly: This recipe is made with affordable, widely available ingredients around the world. Plus, it’s easy to swap in or out vegetables based on seasonality.
• Allergen-friendly: This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and can be easily made without oil.

If you’re a fan of vegan split pea soup, you should really check out our vegan lentil soup, fava bean soup, pinto bean soup, and black bean soup.

🍲 What is split pea soup?

Traditionally, split pea soup is primarily made from dried split peas and ham. This meal has been around for years and years, and there are slight variations depending on the region of the world it’s served in.

It’s a hearty recipe that’s perfect for warming up during cold weather months, remedying colds, or curing the worst hangovers. So, let’s make a vegan version!

🌱 How to make it vegan

Making a vegan split pea soup couldn’t be easier. All you really have to do is remove the ham and make sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

To emulate the umami characteristic of split pea soup, we use miso paste. It provides a necessary oomph in savoriness, especially if you’re trying to cut down on meat but still crave a traditional taste.

A few other ingredients we add to make this dish our own: 

• Potatoes: We love adding potatoes or sweet potatoes! The starches help thicken the soup, and the cooked cubes add creamy textures to every bite.
• Spices: We use a mixture of fresh thyme and dill, both of which add depth and complexity to this vegan pea soup. 

🤔 What are split peas?

Whether you’re new to split peas or have been using them for years, we’ll give you the low-down on what they are and their uses.

Split peas are precisely what they sound like — peas that have been dried and split in half.

You can find them in most grocery stores in the dried beans and legumes aisle. They come in either green or yellow, and both work for vegan pea soup. We opted for yellow in this recipe since that’s what we had available, but use whichever variety you prefer. 

Split peas work incredibly well for soup since they don’t need to be soaked and cook quite quickly. Once broken down, they lend a creamy texture that thickens the soup right up. 

With their high protein and fiber content, split peas are plant-based proof that you don’t need meat to obtain these vital nutrients!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Split peas: Make sure to use dried split peas as they’ll be simmered until tender. Use green for a more traditional flavor and yellow for a more delicate taste. Remember to pick through the bag for any pebbles or bad-looking peas.
• Liquids: We use a combination of vegetable broth and water. You can use all broth or all water if you prefer. Vegetable bouillon or no chicken bouillon are both great options for soup!
• Herbs & spices: For the herbs and spices, we add fresh dill, fresh thyme, bay leaves, turmeric, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have fresh herbs, include dried dill and thyme earlier on in the cooking process, and reduce the amount added.
• Olive oil: To sauté the onions and garlic. If you don’t have olive oil, replace it with avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil.
• Onions & garlic: Both provide savory and aromatic components necessary for a full-bodied vegan pea soup. Use white or yellow onion, and make sure the garlic is fresh!
• White miso paste: Shiro miso adds the umami flavor usually provided by pork. You can also use vegan Worchestershire, tamari, or nutritional yeast.
• Vegetables: Carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes add bursts of sweetness, celery provides more savory notes, and zucchini because we had some to use up! Feel free to experiment with different vegetables like regular potatoes.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan split pea soup

Step 1: Simmer the peas

Rinse the split peas thoroughly in a strainer. Transfer them to a large stockpot with vegetable broth, water, and bay leaves. Simmer the peas for 45-60 minutes, or until softening.

Step 2: Sauté the veggies

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add the diced onions and sauté for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic, miso paste, and turmeric, and sauté for another 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Step 3: Simmer the soup

Once the peas have softened, add the onion mixture, chopped carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, corn, and zucchini. Cover the pot, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft.

Step 4: Add the fresh herbs

With about 5 minutes of cooking time left, stir in the dill, thyme, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking (we prefer a lot of dill, but start with a smaller amount and slowly increase it). Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan split pea soup recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🍞 What to serve with split pea soup

Although vegan split pea soup is great on its own, here are some ideas for sides and garnishes to make a heartier meal:

• Bread: Pair your soup with a slice of vegan garlic bread, sourdough, dairy-free bread, or even corn tortillas.
• “Meat”: Try adding a sprinkle of tempeh bacon or tofu crumbles on top.
• Salad: For even more health benefits, serve this with a side salad like kale Caesar salad or spring greens.
• Cheese: Crumble some queso fresco, vegan cotija, or vegan parmesan cheese on top.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

For any leftover vegan split pea soup, follow these storage and reheating tips:

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
• Freezer: Make meal prep a breeze by freezing your leftovers. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers. We suggest using single-portion containers or jars for easier reheating.
• Thaw: Thaw soup in the fridge the night before you need more.
• Reheating: Add what you’re going to eat to a stovetop over low heat, and cook it for about 5-6 minutes, or until warmed through. Alternatively, you reheat it in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

♻️ Variations

• Vegan ham: For a more traditional-looking recipe, add vegan ham (store-bought or homemade). 
• Herbs and spices: Use different herbs and spices such as parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, curry spice, fennel, oregano, or basil.
• Vegetables: Mix up the flavors and textures by adding vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, regular potatoes, or parsnips.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Fresh herbs: Whenever possible, source fresh herbs as they provide a natural, balanced flavor. If you’re in a pinch, dry herbs work as well.
• Consistency: This soup is meant to be thick due to the starches in the split peas and potatoes. For a thinner consistency, add more broth. If you prefer no chunks, use a hand-held or regular blender to make a smooth version.
• Fresh split peas: Old split peas may result in extremely long cook times (sometimes, they don’t even soften). Double-check how long you’ve stored them, and buy them fresh if possible. 
• Season to taste: We find legumes require a lot of seasoning in order to achieve the right flavor. Taste and season as you go, adding more at the end if needed.
• Speed up cooking: If you know you’re going to make split pea soup in advance, soak the split peas overnight. This will considerably reduce the cooking time.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More comforting soups and stews

If you enjoyed this vegan split pea soup recipe, don’t forget to check out some more flavorful soups and stews like these:

• 4-Ingredient Potato Soup: Flavor-packed soup with minimal ingredients.
• Sopa de Coditos: Mexican pasta soup with a tomato-based broth.
• West African Peanut Stew: A hearty dish inspired by Domoda. 
• Vegan Chili: Protein-packed chili made completely plant-based.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.