This split pea soup recipe comes from our vegetarian restaurant! Savory and delicious, bursting with Mediterranean flavors, it’s vegan & gluten-free. Video.
Back when Tonia and I had our vegetarian restaurant together, this split pea soup recipe was in constant demand. Wholesome and nourishing our guests loved it! Honestly, I was always amazed that Tonia could make a split pea soup taste this good without adding a ham bone!
Here’s the secret: it’s packed with savory ingredients like sundried tomatoes, smoked paprika, and lively herbs. The fresh rosemary brings it over the top.
The best part? It only gets more flavorful with time! Filled with nutritious veggies and healthy plant protein, its a wholesome meal that’s perfect for making ahead.
Why You Will Love This Split Pea Soup!
- Incredibly Flavorful! Rich and savory flavors get even better the next day.
- Nutritious and Satisfying! High in protein, it will keep you full and satisfied while providing essential nutrients.
- Easy to Make and Perfect for Meal Prep! It’s ideal for making ahead, as the flavors intensify over time, making it a convenient and delicious option for busy days.
Split Pea Soup Ingredients
- Onion– we used yellow onion for a savory depth.
- Carrots– add nutritious sweetness and hearty texture.
- Garlic cloves- for savory depth.
- Split green peas– use dried split peas, make sure to check the expiration date, old peas may not soften.
- Vegetable broth– good flavored broth really enhances the soup.
- Sun-dried tomatoes– adds a sweet rich flavor burst.
- Herbs– bay leaves, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, dried marjoram, fresh parsley add savory aromatic flavor.
- Smoked paprika– gives a nice smoky essence.
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste for balance.
How to make Split Pea Soup
Step One: Rinse split peas and add to a pot with 1 quart of unsalted water bring to a boil and simmer for 30 mins to soften.
Meanwhile, prep the ingredients, chopping the veggies and herbs.
Step Two: In a soup pot, sauté onion in olive oil for 10 minutes over medium heat, the onion will get brown edges and start to caramelize. Add the garlic and the carrots, sauté 5 minutes more.
Step Three: Add the veggie broth, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and dijon. Drain split peas and add them in.
Step Four: Simmer gently, covered, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking until peas are broken down and soft.
Step Five: Add in fresh parsley just before serving and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper.
Meal Prep and Storage
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 days in a sealed, airtight container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of this soup is hearty enough on it’s own, or serve it with sourdough bread, rolls, or biscuits, and a Caesar Salad!
Chef’s Tips
- Start with cooking the split peas in unsalted water while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This will give them a jump start on softening without overcooking the veggies.
- Make sure your split peas are not expired, as they may not soften completely.
- Lightly caramelizing your onions will give so much more flavor depth to your soup.
- Use this easy recipe for homemade vegetable broth for even more fresh flavor.
Split pea soup Faqs
No, you do not need to soak split peas before cooking. Unlike other legumes, split peas cook relatively quickly and do not require soaking. However, make sure your split peas are fresh as older peas tend to not soften with cooking.
Split pea soup is naturally thickened by the breakdown of the peas during the cooking process. As the split peas cook, they dissolve into a creamy consistency that thickens the soup.
Using fresh, high-quality ingredients like fresh herbs, vegetables, and a good vegetable broth will enhance the flavor of your soup. The soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld and develop over time. Consider making it a day ahead for maximum flavor.
More split pea Soup Recipes
- How to make FLAVORFUL Vegetable Broth!
- Black Eyed Pea Soup
- Mushroom Lentil Stew with Fennel and Sage
- Moroccan Lentil Quinoa Soup
- Brothy Chickpea Soup with Lemon, Fennel and Sumac
- Smoky Tomato White Bean Soup
- Creamy White Bean Soup with Gremolata
- 25 Delicious Vegetarian & Vegan Soup Recipes
Stay warm, eat mostly healthy and find something beautiful to ponder 💛.
Split Pea Soup Recipe Video
Split Pea Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 90
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups
- Category: vegan, soup, stew
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Mediterranean Split Pea Soup recipe is so savory and flavorful! Simple, clean ingredients create a hearty soup that tastes even better the next day. Vegan & gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry green split peas, (337 grams) sorted and rinsed
- 4 cups (1 quart) water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, 1 1/2 cups, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) vegetable broth (chicken stock is fine if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut in small pieces (dry, not in oil)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- a squeeze of lemon to serve
Instructions
- Rinse off split peas and add to a pot with 1 quart of unsalted water bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
- In a separate soup pot, sauté onion in olive oil for 10 minutes over medium heat, the onion will get brown edges and start to caramelize.
- Add the garlic and the carrots, stir 5 minutes more.
- Add veggie broth, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and dijon.
- Drain split peas and add in.
- Simmer gently over medium-low heat, 30 minutes, with a lid-vented, stirring occasionally. Cook until peas are soft and broken down.
- Add in fresh parsley just before serving and a squeeze of lemon.
Adjust to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
We adjusted the original recipe as a few people had issues with split peas fully softening. The revised version starts with cooking the split peas in unsalted water.
Serve the Split Pea Soup topped with croutons, bread crumbs or crostini if desired.
Soup will keep up to 4 days in the fridge or can be frozen.
Alternatively cook in instant pot- use sauté function for steps 2 and 3. Set pressure cook setting on high for 15 minutes. Add more broth to desired consistency.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ⅓ cups
- Calories: 149
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 357.1 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 9.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
My first batch came out well, thanks for offering. I found that if cut into discs as shown, the carrots need to be sliced about 1/8″ thick to be cooked adequately/timely (or perhaps put in shortly after the onion begins saute’). It seems to me that the accompanying video suggests very different ingredient quantities than as listed here, and shows parsley being added to the soup and stirred near the end, not sooner as implied in the instructions. It might be worthwhile to suggest adding cubed ham, or chicken, or Spanish Chorizo.
Thanks for the suggestions and feedback Will!
Can I use sundried tomato in oil? I can’t seem to find packed sundried tomatoes in the store.
Yes, just drain well!
This looks great! For the instant pot, do I still need to soak the split peas? Also I love your recipes (cook at least one weekly) and have recommended your blog to so many people!!!
Typically, you don’t have to soak the split peas but they can be finicky if they are older so I usually soak or do a pre-boil without salt just to be sure. Thanks so much for sharing the blog!
I’m not usually a fan of split pea soup, but this was delicious. My whole family liked it, too.
Great to hear!
Thank you, Sylvia. That was very tasty with depth of flavor, which is usually harder without adding meat. I amended a bit due to what was in the kitchen, but it didn’t suffer.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this Laura!
This was excellent soup! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed Suzanne!
Lovely soup💚💚 But the actual recipe portion is titled spilt pea soup😋
Way too tasty to be spilt and waste any!😉
Glad you enjoyed!