After the release of my debut cookbook, Supper with Love, I’ve been leaning more on comforting bowls of soup like this Vegetarian Split Pea Soup. It’s funny because in recent years, I said if I ever wrote a second cookbook, that I would include the recipe for this soup in it, but I digress.

Like many of you, my first introduction to split pea soup was the kind that was made by Campbell’s, that I had as a child. Split pea soup it is often made with either ham or bacon or both. But with my veg-heavy version, I simply let the vegetables take the lead and the results are delicious! Now, this soup comes together rather easily and I did a short reel on Instagram on how to make it. So, if you’d like to have a look, click here.

Similar to my cookbook, you can freestyle this soup and make it your own in many different ways. Here’s a few suggestions.

  • Serve it with crostini’s, warm flatbread or naan, cornbread, croutons (I like to use the herby croutons from my book on page 133), or a big chunk of artisan bread
  • Drizzle it with a little olive oil and shower it with fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro
  • Shower on a good serving of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Stir in the zest of a lemon and some lemon juice for a some brightness
  • Temper some spices like black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, or thinly sliced garlic
  • Stir in a dollop sour cream or plain yogurt
  • Stir in some kale, spinach, or another heartier leafy green near the end
  • Or if you’re looking for more of a smoky flavor, add a few dashes of liquid smoke.

If you like this soup, give my Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup a try!

Get the Recipe: Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Yield: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Split pea soup it is often made with either ham or bacon or both. But with my veg-heavy version, I simply let the vegetables take the lead and the results are delicious!
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Ingredients

For the soup:

  • A good drizzle of olive oil, plus more for the top
  • 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium russet potato, diced small
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 8 cups vegetable broth, you can use a combination of water and broth if you prefer
  • 1 pound green split peas, rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Instructions

Make the soup:

  • Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add in the carrots, celery, potato, onion and sauté until slightly softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in the vegetable broth, green split peas, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer (stirring occasionally) until the split peas and vegetables are really tender and have broken down quite a bit, about 45 to 60 minutes. (Optionally, if you'd like a less chunkier soup, take an immersion blender and blend it a few times to get the consistency you desire.)
    Now, fish out the bay leaf and compost or discard it. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
    Keep in mind that the soup will soak up some of the broth as it cools. So, add a little water or broth when reheating any leftovers.
  • Ladle the soup into your favorite bowls and garnish and serve however you'd like (referring to what I said in the head notes).
    Enjoy!
Calories: 318kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 970mg, Potassium: 1004mg, Fiber: 21g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4102IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 4mg