Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup is actually a vegan recipe for the classic, comforting dish but without the bacon.
This budget-friendly meal relies on just 2 core pantry staples, making it easy to prep and customize with your own favorite seasonings.
It’s a versatile, satisfying dish perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or a simple nourishing lunch.
This vegan split pea soup is an amazing meal for cold winter days and makes a light dinner any time of the year.
Leftovers are just as good!
This soup can be made ahead and reheated whenever you’re ready to eat, making it a perfect, budget-friendly lunch to take to work.
And since this recipe is made without bacon, it is completely pork-free.
And peas are nutritious!
Some cooking terms:
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor-related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance-related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
What does “sauté” mean?
To sauté means to cook quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a frying pan on a relatively high heat that causes a slight browning of the food on the outside.
What does “boil” mean?
Boiling is cooking food submerged in water hot enough to have rapid, rolling bubbles.
Everyday pantry essentials to keep in your kitchen (suggested)
I have found that having ingredient “essentials” on hand in my kitchen saves me time and allows me to make a large variety of dishes with little notice.
Seasoning and flavoring:
- salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
- onion powder
- sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
- hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
- ground turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
- onion soup mix
- onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Misc:
- oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
- coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
- flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
- cornstarch as a thickening agent
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
- condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
- tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
- soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)
- ready-made pie crusts and dough (to just add filling)
We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves, as well as pasta.
In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (various colors), etc., can be very useful when putting together a quick but delicious meal.
What is actually needed to have on hand to make this creamy vegetarian potato soup?
1.5 cups of split peas
vegetarian/vegan chicken consommé powder
(seasonings/spices, optional, as desired)
Love soup?
Try these:
- Easy Israeli Vegetable Soup
- Easy Vegetarian French Onion Soup
- Vegetarian Egg Drop Soup
- Easy Barley Beef Soup
- Creamy Vegetarian Potato Soup
Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Simple, savory, and delicious 2-core-ingredient split pea soup without the bacon.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups of split peas
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetarian/vegan chicken consommé powder or to taste *
- 4 cups water *
- Other spices to taste, if desired (such as pepper)
Instructions
- Place split peas, consomme powder, and water in a pot.
- Boil until peas are very soft and the water has become a thick soup (approximately 1/2 an hour or as per instructions on package).
- Place in blender and blend until smooth (optional)
Notes
* Instead of water and vegetarian chicken consomme powder, you can use 4 cups of flavorful broth. Or just add salt.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 49mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 7gSugar: 2gProtein: 8g