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Looking for an easy, inexpensive recipe for a classic soup? This savory vegan split pea soup comes together easily and cooks on the stovetop for about an hour. Most of the cooking is hands-off and you can make it ahead of time for meals throughout the week!
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Why You’ll Love this Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup Recipe!
This Split Pea Soup is the epitome of an easy, quick, and wonderfully budget-friendly meal that’s still hearty and delicious. Cooking dry split peas and other legumes is a great way to save money on meals, and often 1/3 to 1/4 of the price of canned beans. Plus, if you have a grocery store with bulk bins, it often makes beans, legumes, herbs, and spices even cheaper!
I love that this recipe has a short and simple list of ingredients (many of which are pantry staples!) that blend together into fabulous flavors. This vegan soup recipe creates a rich creamy texture that is extremely satisfying and filling – comfort food at its best!
If you love cooking with legumes, you might also enjoy this Vegan Minestrone Soup and Veggie Turmeric Yellow Split Peas.
Ingredients for Vegan Split Pea Soup
This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients you can grab on a quick trip to the grocery store. See the attached grocery list to make it even easier!
How to Make Split Pea Soup Vegan
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 2: Add the split peas, water, and bouillon or broth and cover with the lid. Then lower the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes. After that, remove the lid and cook for 15 minutes longer. When ready, season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Toni’s Recipe Tips
- Age of split peas. The older your bag of split peas, the longer they take to cook. So if you find that after an hour of cooking, they still aren’t tender enough, it may be that they have been sitting around a bit and simply need to cook longer.
- Speed up the cooking time: If you want your split peas to cook more quickly, you can soak them overnight before cooking. This generally reduces the cooking time considerably. (Plus it can make them easier to digest!)
- Season with salt after cooking. Split peas, like other legumes, cook more quickly in unsalted water. But be sure to add salt at the end, to your tastes. I find split peas generally need a fairly generous amount of salt.
FAQs for Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
The slightly sweet, yet earthy flavor of split peas taste great when flavored with bay leaves, chili peppers or powder, chives, cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, rosemary, or turmeric.
No, split peas do not need to be soaked prior to cooking. However, they can be soaked in advance of cooking which reduces the length of time they need to cook. Also, it aids digestibility.
Serving Suggestions
- Toppings: This vegan split pea soup recipe cooks up deliciously creamy so I find adding some crunchy toppings works great. Croutons, roasted spicy pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds are some of my favorites.
- Salads: This hearty soup works great paired with a side salad such as this easy roasted pumpkin salad or a strawberry kale salad.
- Sandwiches: If you want an even heartier meal, pair a bowl of vegan split pea soup with half of a sandwich. I love this vegan bagel sandwich with pesto or a pesto tofu sandwich!
- Bread and crackers: For a simple meal, pair it with the easiest no knead bread, freshly baked vegan focaccia bread, or some rosemary vegan crackers.
Storage Instructions
- Make ahead: This vegetarsplit pea soup is a perfect choice for meal-prep Sundays! Make it ahead on the weekend or cook up a double batch and store it in the fridge or freezer to use for meals. If you’re afraid you’ll get bored with the same meal, do not fret. You can customize it every single time. You can add some cooked brown rice (how to cook brown rice) one day and some spicy cooked tofu the next.
- Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.
- Freezer: Use a well-sealed container for the freezer and store for up to three months.
- Reheat: Return the vegan split pea soup to a pot or saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. The soup thickens considerably as it sits so you may need to add water or vegetable broth when reheating to thin it out.
More Classic Soups Gone Vegan
If you tried this vegan split pea soup recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Vegan Split Pea Soup
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, sliced
- 2 cups of split peas
- 6 cups of vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot (with a lid) over medium heat.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add split peas, and vegetable broth, cover with the lid, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Serve garnished with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Age of split peas. The older your bag of split peas, the longer they take to cook so if you find that after an hour of cooking, they still aren’t tender enough they may have been sitting around a bit and simply need to cook longer.
- Speed up the cooking time: If you want your split peas to cook more quickly, you can soak them overnight before cooking. This generally reduces the cooking time considerably.
- Season with salt after cooking. Split peas, like other legumes, cook more quickly in unsalted water. Be sure to add at the end to your own tastes. I find split peas to generally need a fairly generous amount of salt.
This was amazing
I did add smoke flavor and thyme. Left out salt and pepper. Addd an extra carrot.
So glad you enjoyed it! Love those additions!
I have made so many versions of split pea soup. I’m not vegan, but as we’re aging my wife and I are trying to be more free of animal products for health and the environment. This recipe is EXCELLENT. I followed your portions but made mine in our pressure cooker. Sauteed the onions, garlic and veggies then added the rest and set on soup for 45 minutes. It came out creamy and perfect. Thank you for giving us a meal that is now on our regular “rotation.”
So glad you enjoyed this yummy soup!
Hi
This recipe looks really yummy and I can’t wait to make it
I have one question…
If you soak the split peas over night,
what is the difference in the cooking time?
If its 45 min for peas that were not soaked
then how long do you cook the peas that were soaked all night?
Hi Rena! I’m so glad you’re excited to try the recipe! I actually didn’t soak the split peas for this one, so the 45-minute cook time is based on using dry split peas. If you soak them overnight, they’ll likely cook a bit faster—possibly around 25–30 minutes—but keep an eye on them and check for tenderness. Let me know how it turns out for you!
This split pea soup was so yummy and gave me major nostalgia back to my childhood. 🥹 While sautéing the veggies I did add some smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and a dash of liquid smoke. For serving, I paired it with Ritz crackers. Thank you for this amazing recipe! 🥣 😋
Thank you so much! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it.
We’re not keen on Split Soup in my family that is until now. This easy to make soup with just a few ingredients is awesome! It was a pleasure to make and yummy to eat 😋.
Have made it twice within two weeks by popular demand from my family. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Thank you for this wining recipe which freezes well too!
That’s so awesome! It’s a tasty one for sure!
Delicious, satisfying comfort soup that cooks so easily and always tastes good. This vegan split pea soup is my go-to for cold evenings when I need something to warm up.
So glad you’re enjoying this soup! It’s such a savory soup that hits the spot every time!
This veggie soup is so freaking good and comforting!
Yesss! So filling and cozy all in one bowl!
This looks wonderful
I would love to know how to adjust the time to make this in the instant pot.
Thanks
i love how soft and cozy this vegan split pea soup recipe is. perfect when you are feeling a little run down
Definitely a great pick-me-up soup!
Perfect for upcoming cold days!
Yesss! So soothing!
Warm, inviting, and full of fiber. You can’t go wrong with this soup recipe!
Agreed! This soup hits the spot!
This is the perfect fall soup, so filling and so tasty!
One of my favorite soups for sure!
This veggie soup is so COZY. I can’t wait to make it all season long!
One of the coziest soups for sure!
Love how easy this split pea soup is! It’s going to be perfect for soup season 🙂
It’s added to my soup rotation too! So good!
Spilt pea soup is that comfort meal that always goes great on any day! Lol
Yesss! It always hits the spot!
This soup is thick and rich. I love a good soup or stew on a cold autumn night.
Gotta love a rich soup to warm you up! It’s a delicious one!
Prepped this soup for my lunches this week and I looked forward to enjoying it every single day. Loved how hearty this soup is and kept me satiated so I didn’t need anything else for lunch. Making it again this weekend. Thanks for the recipe.
It’s definitely a filling one alright! So good!
This split pea soup is such a healthy warm and comforting meal that’s perfect for the colder months ahead. I love how easy is it to make in a large batch, making it great for meal prep for busy weeknights.
So true! It’s definitely a great meal prep option! So great to enjoy throughout the week!
Thank you for this awesome and healthy veggie soup! My family loved it! So full of flavors!
So glad the family loved this one! It’s a favorite of mine too!
Very tasty recipe! It didn’t come out think and creamy like your pictures, it was more on the runny side but it was still yummy regardless. I will definitely be making again!!
A quick, healthy, and very tasty veggie soup recipe. Loved it, thanks!
Nothing like a quick tasty soup!