This split pea soup recipe comes from our vegetarian restaurant! Savory and delicious, bursting with Mediterranean flavors, it’s vegan & gluten-free. Video.

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.

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!

  1. Incredibly Flavorful! Rich and savory flavors get even better the next day.
  2. Nutritious and Satisfying! High in protein, it will keep you full and satisfied while providing essential nutrients.
  3. 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.
ingredients in split pea soup

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.

chopped ingredients in spit pea soup

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.

sauting onion, garlic and carrots.

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.

split pea soup with seasonings in a pot.

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.

This Split Pea Soup recipe comes from our vegetarian restaurant! Savory and delicious, bursting with Mediterranean flavors! Vegan.

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

Do I need to soak split peas before cooking?

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.

What thickens split pea soup?

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.

What makes split pea soup taste better?

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

This vegan recipe for Mediterranean Split Pea Soup is healthy and satisfying.  Simple clean ingredients create a hearty soup that tastes even better the next day!  Vegan and gluten-free.

Stay warm, eat mostly healthy and find something beautiful to ponder 💛.

~Tonia

Split Pea Soup Recipe Video

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Split Pea Soup Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 33 reviews
  • Author: Tonia | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 90
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 cups 1x
  • Category: vegan, soup, stew
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

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

Units Scale
  • 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

  1. Rinse off split peas and add to a pot with 1 quart of unsalted water bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. 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.
  3. Add the garlic and the carrots, stir 5 minutes more.
  4. Add veggie broth, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and dijon.
  5. Drain split peas and add in.
  6. Simmer gently over medium-low heat, 30 minutes, with a lid-vented, stirring occasionally.  Cook until peas are soft and broken down.
  7. 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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don't Forget to RATE THE RECIPE!

We appreciate your feedback! Our readers LOVE to read your reviews, adaptations, and suggestions! Have a question? We’ll personally respond within 24 hours.

Share this with the world!

Pin
Subscribe
to get recipes via email

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Comments

  3. This soup was absolutely phenomenal, my 8 year old and I loved it. I’d say this is my favourite soup ever. Followed the recipe to a T except I couldn’t find marjoram and used oregano instead. After I added the smoked paprika, I was wondering if it was going to be too much, but it was absolutely perfect. The lemon juice at the end takes this to the next level, don’t skip that! Thank you!

    Reply

  5. I made this recipe as written and it was delicious. I use an instant pot from start to finish. I sautéed my onions first in the IP then added the garlic and so on. I also use a mixture of old and new peas. At the end I added in some fish the I boil . My family loves the traditional and I decided that I wanted to try something a little different.
    Thank you for sharing…

    Reply

  6. Love this soup! It is not your typical ‘split pea soup’ by any means. I think the dijon, rosemary and smoked paprika give it a wonderfully distinct taste. Last time I made it, it was gone in a flash, so I made a double recipe this time!



    Reply

  7. This was delicious! I made just a couple of tweaks: used less onion and regular paprika, since we don’t like the smoked kind. I also added some potatoes and a little kale for more veggies, and had to use sun-dried tomatoes from a jar with oil, since that’s what I had. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. So good and nourishing!



    Reply

    1. HI Mike, I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you- if you could be more specific about what didn’t work for you, we can try to improve the recipe for other people who try to make this. Was it the directions? Flavors? Process? Any info is helpful here. 🙂

      Reply

  10. I made this last week. The flavors are wonderful! I added a few baby potatoes that I had to use up, but overcooked the peas. So I blended half the veggies with most of the soup base. It was yummy. My mom even liked it and she doesn’t normally like split pea soup. Will definitely make it again. Hopefully I won’t overcook the peas next time. 🙂



    Reply

  11. Tried this recipe this weekend. I love traditional split pea soup and was looking forward to some new flavors. It’s important to really let it cook well. For me it’s fun to taste it at different stages. But…I thought it was going to be an epic fail. NOPE! My sisters stove just doesn’t heat up properly so it needed much longer to cook than anticipated. It was a HUGE hit. My brother-n-law is excited about adding sausage to it, lol. We started with the vegan version. Now it is going to become a base for many twists and turns. WE LOVE IT!!



    Reply

    1. Yay, so happy you gave it a try! The split peas really do vary on cooking time, glad you stuck with.

      Reply

  13. Absolutely delicious! Loved the added touches of sun dried tomatoes and mustard which contributed to wonderful bursts of flavor throughout this creamy soup! I cooked the split peas & bay leaf in instant pot for 20 min’s – then added the spices, extra water carrots, onions (& celery) and cooked another 3 min’s. Definitely will make this again!

    Reply

  16. Delicious soup. Does it really have 1218mg of sodium in 1 1/3 cups? It only has 1 tsp of salt, so I’m not sure how that’s possible.

    Reply

  19. Absolutely delicious! Thick and hearty with a slightly sweet taste I love. At the insistence of my husband I did add a little smoked ham but it would have been just as good without. Thank you for sharing.



    Reply

  21. Terrific soup- hearty and healthy at the same time. I used canned tomatoes because I couldn’t find the sun-dried and it was still great.

    Reply

  22. Question Tonia. If doing the Instant Pot version, are the peas cooked before adding or is their cooking time included in the 15 minutes? I am still new to IP cooking but would love to try this recipe that way.

    Reply

  23. This soup is my lunch for the week. Interestingly. the peas were well past the use-by date but “the internet” said they’d be fine. They cooked until soft enough to eat but still had their shape and bite, and the soup was brothy not creamy, which I find I prefer.

    Reply

      1. The leftovers will probably be a little creamier. Blending part of the soup is an option too.

        Reply

  25. I have yet to make this really good looking soup but need the recipe in grams. The “units” button doesn’t work for this? When I selected M it starts with 201 cups of split peas?!!

    Reply

Originally Posted

Last Updated

Categories

Our Latest Recipes