Meet the best vegetarian split pea soup made with yellow split peas, ghee butter, carrots and aromatic herbs. It's a hearty, packed with nutrients kid-friendly meal for colder winter days.
Traditional split pea soup is usually made with ham or some other smoked meats. I always try to avoid any smoked foods when making kid-friendly recipes. This vegetarian split pea soup recipe is light, healthy, and so easy to make.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Vegetarian yellow split pea soup is packed with nutrients: peas, carrots, ghee butter. You will have a meal full of good quality fiber, vitamins, and healthy fats. Yellow split peas benefits: rich in dietary fiber, great for blood sugar control, fat-free, promote gut health, rich in vitamins and minerals.
- This soup requires only a few ingredients and minimum chopping.
- You can add so many toppings to make it more fun for kids.
- Split peas are very affordable (even organic ones) making this vegetarian soup budget-friendly.
Ingredients
Yellow Split Peas: rinsed and sorted. I love to use either green or yellow split peas. Today I had yellow kind, so I used it for making this recipe. You can use green or yellow but make sure to get the split peas (not whole). Split peas will cook much faster and will not require soaking.
Ghee Butter: using ghee butter in soups gives it a nice buttery and warming taste. You can use regular butter or olive oil instead.
Onion: Dices small yellow or sweet onion. Most of the soups require onion but if you do not like it, skip it.
Carrots: washed, peeled, and diced carrots are another main ingredients to make this delicious yellow split pea soup.
Water: I always try to use filtered water for my soups.
"Better Than Bouillon" vegan base: You can use any other bouillon cube, but this brand is my favorite and makes your soup super flavorful.
Salt: I often skip salt since the bouillon base adds the perfect amount of saltiness. But if at the end you feel like adding more salt, you are welcome to do so.
Fresh Garlic: you can use powdered garlic instead.
Dry Herbs: for this soup, I used a perfect variety of herbs that go well with each other: dry parsley, bay leaves, black pepper, marjoram leaves (optional).
Fresh Parsley and Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes: these ingredients are optional and used as toppings for serving.
See a recipe card for ingredients quantities.
Equipment
Colander: for rinsing the split peas.
Measuring Cup: used for measuring yellow split peas and water
Measuring Spoons: you will need 1 teaspoon and ¼ of a teaspoon.
Cutting Board: used for dicing onions, garlic and carrots.
Knife: for peeling and cutting.
Large Pot: for making the soup. You can also use a dutch oven.
Immersion Blender: only if you plan to blend the soup
How to make vegetarian split pea soup
1. Measure one cup of yellow split peas and place them on a flat surface of the plate. Sort the peas by discarding any debris or rocks you may find. Place the sorted peas in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set the drained peas aside for now.
2. Peel and dice onions, carrots, and garlic. Add ghee butter and onions to the pot. Cook onions on medium heat until translucent. Add chopped carrots and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Once the carrots start to soften up a little bit, add diced garlic and cook for another minute or just until garlic releases the aroma.
3. Pour the split peas and water into the pot. Turn heat on low. Add better than bouillon, black pepper, and dry herbs. Bring everything to boil, cover, and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes until the peas are tender and soft.
4. Once the peas are cooked, remove the bay leaf. Using immersing blender, process the soup for about 30 seconds leaving it a little chunky. It's a matter of preference and you can completely skip the blending step, or you can blend the whole soup into a puree. I love it to be blended just a little bit and have still whole split peas and carrots. Add lemon juice to the soup. Serve hot and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
-you can add the different toppings of your choice: croutons, seeds, fresh herbs, bacon, mushrooms. My favorite is chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley.
-serve the split pea soup with some fresh bread, grilled cheese, or even mini pizzas (my son's favorite).
Storing and reheating.
Refrigeration: when the soup cools down, transfer it to the air-tight container. It will stay fresh in the fridge for 3 days.
Freezing: this vegetarian split pea soup is freezer-friendly. When the soup cools down completely, prepare couple of freezer-friendly Ziploc bags and pour one or two (depending on a size of your family) servings in each bag. Lay them flat ( for saving space) and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: to reheat the refrigerated soup, pour the needed amount into the small pot and heat over medium heat until hot. You can also microwave the soup in a bowl. To reheat the frozen soup, run the bag under hot water. Once the soup is loose, add it to the pot and warm it over low heat until boiling hot.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegan by skipping ghee butter and using olive oil.
- Add some ham for traditional meaty split pea soup.
- Use some chicken broth to make it more nutritious.
- Add a few cubed potatoes and celery to make it extra hearty.
- Make it spicy by adding some hot chili powder.
Other no-meat soups you may like
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between yellow and green split peas?
-While yellow and green split peas are very similar, have the same cooking time, the yellow split peas have a more earthy taste while green ones are sweeter.
Do I need to soak split peas?
-It is not necessary to soak split peas. They cook quite fast compare to the whole dry peas or beans. If you are sensitive to legumes or cooking for kids, it's better to soak them for 5-6 hours to reduce the risk of gas.
Is vegetarian split pea soup healthy?
-Yes, this split pea soup is super healthy and nutritious. Split peas are a great source of fiber, rich in plant-based protein, and low in fat. Split peas contain a good amount of iron as well.
How long does it take to cook yellow split peas?
-It takes anywhere from 40 minutes up to 1 hour to cook split peas. They are cooked when become tender and soft. If you desire a creamier texture, cook the peas longer.
Why split peas won't soften?
-If the split peas do not start softening after 40 minutes of cooking, the peas are probably expired or were stored not properly. In this case, it is recommended to discard the peas.
Can you make split pea soup with canned peas?
-No, if you use canned peas they will have a different texture and will not be as creamy. Of course, the soup will be edible, but it will be a different type of soup.
Are split peas good for a baby?
-Spit peas can be good nutritious food for babies once they meet readiness to start solids. You can blend it into puree and introduce it to kids as early as 6 months.
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian split pea soup
Equipment
- colander
- Measuring Cup
- measuring spoons
- cutting board
- knife
- large pot
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow split peas rinsed and sorted
- ¼ medium yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 Tablespoon ghee butter
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 teaspoon better than bouillon vegetable base
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon dry marjoram leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dry basil
- ¼ teaspoon parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper more by taste for serving
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the split peas. Dice onion and garlic, cube carrots.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add ghee butter and onion. Cook on medium heat until onion becomes translucent. Add cubed carrots and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add diced garlic and cook it for a minute or so until it releases it's aroma.
- Add rinsed split peas, water, better than bullion and spices to the pot. Bring the soup to boil, cover and simmer on low-medium heat for about 45-60 minutes until the peas are tender and soft.
- Turn off the heat. Carefully blend the soup using immersion blender for about 30-60 seconds, leaving it chunky (blending is optional). Add lemon and give it a taste. Add extra salt if needed. Serve hot and enjoy this hearty soup!
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