As soon as the temperatures get cooler outside, I crave hot, savory soups. I love soup, regardless of the type, and the thicker and creamier the soup, the better. Vegan crockpot split pea soup, for example, is one of my favorites because not only is it thick and creamy, and it's loaded with veggies.
Even though many people don't like peas, split peas are different than fresh or frozen peas. Compared to lentils, split peas come from plants designed explicitly for drying peas and creating split peas. So despite their commonalities, split peas and lentils are different.
What is the difference between split peas and lentils?
Split peas, a form of legume, somewhat like lentils, are yellow or green and harvested to be dried. When harvested, split peas are split in half, which is why they are called split peas. Split peas, for instance, do not need to be soaked because of being split in half. Unlike lentils, split peas become creamy when cooked through.
Similar to lentils, split peas are high in fiber, protein and very low in fat. For that reason, eating split peas as well as lentils is highly recommended on a plant-based diet.
Stovetop, crockpot, or Instant Pot Cooking
Despite my love for my crockpot, I decided to make my vegan split pea soup recipe on the stovetop. Since I made the soup on Sunday, I didn't need to use my crockpot while meal prepping.
But, using an Instant Pot is even easier! Regardless of your preferred cooking method, the soup tastes fabulous any way it's cooked.
But, if you want to use your crockpot instead, it is just as easy as the stovetop or Instant Pot version. The benefit of the crockpot, which I find pretty appealing, is throwing everything in the base, turning it on, and walking away.
Furthermore, you can put all the ingredients in the crockpot base, refrigerate it overnight, and turn it on before leaving for work. As a result, it isn't necessary to add the ingredients in the morning since no one has time.
If you opt for the stovetop method as I did, it is just as simple. The only difference is a quick step-by-step process and occasionally stirring while the soup simmers. Either way makes a huge pot of soup for lunch, dinner or packs well in containers for work.
How to make vegan split pea soup various vegetables for more nutrition
Vegan split pea soup is hearty, but adding more vegetables makes it more nutritious.
This supreme split pea soup recipe will fill you up with six vegetables without any oil or anything added other than a plethora of veggies and organic vegetable broth. This soup is more like a stew!
Once cooked through, the split peas become creamy and break down, making a thick broth full of vegetables. Each bite is heartier than the last; the more you eat, the happier you will feel.
If you're following a plant-based lifestyle, a variety of vegetables is a must, and this soup packs it all in one bowl. You can even hide those "not so favorite veggies" in the soup without any little ones knowing.
FAQs
And, if you love soup as much as I do, try these thick and hearty soups:
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Cauliflower Bisque Soup with Paprika and Chives
- Vegan Thai Curried Cauliflower Lentil Soup
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- Creamy White Bean Soup
- Vegan Clam Chowder Oh My!
- Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms
- How to Make Your Own Vegan Pasta Fagioli Soup
- Curried Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Honestly, I could eat soup every day of my life. Soups on!
Vegan Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
SOUP
- 8 cups organic vegetable broth
- 1 pound dried split peas rinsed
- 1 large onion diced small
- 3 carrots diced small
- 3 stalks celery diced small
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced small
- 3 baking potatoes diced small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke I used hickory flavor
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
STOVE TOP
- Rinse and drain 1 pound of dried split peas
- In a large soup pot, saute onions and garlic until translucent
- Add a small amount of vegetable broth to prevent sticking
- Add all herbs and seasonings
- Add carrots, celery, and potatoes
- Add bay leaf
- Add split peas
- Pour vegetable broth over the top of all the ingredients
- Stir
- Bring to a boil and stir, then reduce heat to simmer, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Split peas will breakdown and create a creamy broth
INSTANT POT
- Turn pressure cooker to the "sauté" setting.
- Sauté onion, celery, potatoes, jalapeno, and carrots for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the split peas, vegetable broth, herbs and spices, liquid smoke, and the bay leaf.
- Turn off the "sauté" function.
- Cover pressure cooker and set to manual, high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release for 10-15 minutes naturally.
- Then, use the quick release function.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary (see notes). Serve immediately, store in your refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
CROCKPOT INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients to the base of the crockpot and stir
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH
- Taste and adjust spices to taste
- Serve with a sprig of thyme on top
Notes
FAQs
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Kae
Can I use lentils instead of split peas? Would I still add potatoes at the end if they are not frozen? Thanks!
Kathy Carmichael
Yes, you can use lentils instead; still rinse them. The potatoes will need to go in at the beginning with everything else if you are not using frozen ones.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Patti Isopi
Perfect for our Michigan "Third Winter" this week.
Kathy Carmichael
Patti, spring will be here before you know it. In the meantime, enjoy some hot soup and a great movie 🙂
Sandra E Thele
I halved the recipe. About 1/3 into the cooking time I added some water and covered the pot for the remainder of the time. I also added a few tablespoons of coconut milk since it was a bit too hot for us. But overall, tyrned out nice.
Kathy Carmichael
Sandra, I'm glad you enjoyed the soup. Thank you for the suggestions of substitutions. The coconut milk sounds great! I appreciate the feedback.
Sandi
Can you make this without potatoes? Also I can’t have potatoes or nuts in your nacho recipe can you let me know what I can substitute?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sandi, yes, you can leave the potatoes out of the split pea soup. Just add another vegetable or just skip the potatoes. As for the nachos recipe, I have never tried making the cheese sauce without potatoes. White beans are a good substitute for nuts normally, so that you could try that, but I have never tried myself, so I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction. Can you have sunflower seeds? Those are usually a great substitute for nuts. Let me know what you try. I'm interested in how it all turns out.
Manuela Woodrum
This was the most tasty vegan split pea soup I ever had!!!!! EVER
Tater
This was so good! Used the instant pot instructions so it was easy too.
I forgot to bookmark the recipe but eventually I found you again - thank goodness.
Kathy Carmichael
I'm so glad you liked the split pea soup recipe. Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any of the other recipes.
Carol Bradstreet
It was way too spicy to my liking. If I make it again, I will leave out the red pepper flakes. If it hadn't been so spicy, I would have given it 4 stars. Good, but not great.