Classic Vegan Green Pea Soup

Long-simmering vegan green pea soup is a winter classic. A natural choice as a hearty main dish in a bowl, this thick, stick-to-your-ribs soup is subtly smoky and keeps you full for hours.

This green pea soup takes on a subtle smoky flavor from Spanish paprika or barbecue seasonings. Optionally, it can be embellished with sautéed bits of vegan bacon, croutons, and/or fresh mint. Or, skip the toppings and serve with fresh bread.

A soup that keeps on giving: This soup thickens considerably as it stands; thin leftovers with additional water as needed and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

What are split peas?

Dried split peas are mature green peas. They’re then peeled, split, and dried. Unlike other legumes, split peas need not be presoaked before cooking. Still, they take a fairly long time to cook (unless using an Instant Pot®), somewhere in the area of 45 to 60 minutes and sometimes more, depending on their size and age.

The good news is that spllit pea soups like this have little hands-on time, and leisurely cooking with the other ingredients and seasonings bring out their best flavor.

Split peas are high in protein and fiber, low in calories, and rich in many vitamins and minerals. Get their complete nutritional profile here. Learn more about their background and uses here.

Swap in yellow peas: Green and yellow split peas are close botanical relatives with subtle differences in flavor and texture but can generally be used interchangeably. Get a bit more into the weeds here about the similarities and differences between green and yellow split peas.

Explore more …

• Classic Vegan Yellow Split Pea Soup
• Curried Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens
• Curry Coconut Red Lentil Soup

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Yield: 8

Classic Vegan Green Pea Soup

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Long-simmering vegan green pea soup is an easy, classic winter soup. It’s a natural choice as a hearty main dish. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups water, plus more, as needed
• 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed (variation: use yellow split peas)
• 1 large or 2 smaller vegetable bouillon cubes
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash)
• 2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons smoked (Spanish) paprika or barbecue seasoning, or more, to taste
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (for color, optional)
• 1/4 cup or so chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional

• 5- to 6-ounce package tempeh bacon or other vegan bacon
• Croutons

• Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until golden. 
2. Add the garlic, water, split peas, bouillon cubes, seasoning blend, curry powder, paprika or barbecue seasoning. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently with the cover ajar until the peas are mushy, at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Check occasionally to make sure there’s sufficient water.    
3. When the split peas are done, add the optional thawed frozen peas and parsley. If you’d like, insert an immersion blender and process to make the soup nice and smooth.
   
   Adjust the consistency with more water as needed, then season with salt and pepper. Taste to adjust any of the other seasonings as well. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
   
   For serving: If you’d like to serve with vegan bacon as a topping, cut it into bits. Heat a medium skillet coated with a little olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray). Add the chopped chopped vegan bacon and sauté over medium heat until lightly browned. Pass around to top individual portions. You can also pass around croutons, if you’d like, and/or small sprigs of fresh mint. Otherwise, enjoy the soup just as is, without toppings.

Notes

This soup thickens considerably as it stands; thin with additional water and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Here are more satisfying vegan soups & stews.