Easy, delicious, quick and healthy, this is the best split pea soup recipe i’ve ever made. Plant-based vegan / vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and good for you.
Yellow Split Peas + Leeks + Thyme + Smoked Paprika = Magic
You can count on this simple peasant recipe to deliver like a boss.
Hearty, filling and loaded with smoky layers from my favorite Spanish smoked paprika. No soaking the split peas required, no meat, no ham bone / ham-hock pork silliness needed. Because pigs are our friends and we don’t eat our friends!
Split pea soup comes in different variations from many different cultures. Today’s best vegan version involves little organic yellow split peas, but honestly you can use whichever variety you have around.
History shows that the tradition goes all the way back to 500 BC when hot pea soup was sold in the streets of Athens Greece, a poor man’s food.
You want to serve this soup steaming hot, as hot as you can handle without betraying your tongue. Tough a very nutritions meal on its own, a good sprinkling of hemp hearts really boosts its protein and nutritional profile even more. A piece of homemade crusty bread is recommended to wipe those soup bowls sparkling clean.
I gave this soup a rustic thick texture, only partially pureed but not so thick that you can stick a fork in it. Balance the texture to your liking with more hemp milk and puree to a silky smooth texture if you prefer.
note: for extra smokiness use a pinch of this smoked sea salt variety to season in addition to the smoked paprika.
the Best Split Pea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow split peas -rinsed well
- 1 leeks
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 carrot - diced
- 2 ribs celery - chopped
- 8 cups water or low sodium vegetable stock
- 1.5 cups warm hemp milk ( or your favorite plant milk)
- 2 leaves bay
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
- 6 sprigs fresh marjoram
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 pinch sea salt + mor eto taste
- 1/4 cup fresh chives - chopped
- 6 tbsp hemp hearts for serving - optional
- 1 lime - sliced ( for serving)
- 1 drizzle water or olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the leek and lengthwise and chop it up. Transfer to a colander and rinse well under cold running water.
- Heat a heavy bottom dutch oven on medium low flame. Add the leeks together with a pinch of sea salt and a splash of water or drizzle of olive oil. Add the carrots and celery and sautee for about 10 minutes until wilted and it starts to get some color.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika and red pepper flakes then add the yellow split peas, bay leaves, marjoram and thyme. Pour in the water or vegetable stock and bring to a rapid simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 50 minutes or until the peas have softened to your liking. (If you are working with older split peas you might want to presoak them for a couple of hours to achieve a buttery texture).
- Remove the soup from flame and discard the bay leaves, marjoram and thyme sprigs.
- Pour in the hemp milk and using a hand held immersion blender puree about half of the soup or smoother to your liking. Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste with more sea salt.
- Serve hot with a squeeze of lime, garnished with the chives and hemp seeds.
Notes
- You don't need to soak the split peas unless of course they are very old and tough. The grocery store variety I purchase in bulk cooks great in less than 1 hour.
- If you want to achieve a very mushy texture of the peas before pureeing then feel free to soak them for 3 hours or cook them an extra 30 minutes or so.
Nutrition
Vegan Soups:
Green Bean Soup
Lemon Lentil Soup
Healthy Cabbage Soup
I ended up cooking the split peas about 15 minutes longer to get them extra soft and mushy, the flavors were all there tough, thick and smoky really nice depth of flavors. Will for sure make again!