This vegan split peas soup recipe is a delicious bowl of goodness made from scratch with an assortment of herbs, spices and vegetables. This recipe comes with two cooking options - stove top or instant pot.
Whenever I want something that is healthy, wholesome and extremely filling. I always seem to turn to this recipe because it ticks all the right boxes.
Believe me when it's cold outside you will appreciate a bowl of split pea soup or maybe two or three bowls in total.
It's delicious vegan friendly, gluten free and super tasty too!
What are split peas?
In short split peas are a variety of field peas (green or yellow) that have been specifically cultivated for drying.
When they are hulled they immediately split in half (hence the name) which makes them cook much faster.
Split peas are high in protein, fibre, low in fat and yield the exact cooking time, so in other words, they are interchangeable.
With that being said, the green ones tend to be more on the sweet side and less starchy meanwhile the yellow ones are quite mild in taste.
Regardless of which field pea you use both are very creamy and delicious.
Another example of me using yellow split peas are in this Trinidadian Dhal Recipe. This is the perfect Caribbean dish to have in the colder months. It's super filling and very warming too!!
Ingredients you will need
- Split peas
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrot
- Red bell pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Coriander/cilantro
- Parsley
- Vegetable stock
- Coconut oil
- Black pepper
- Pink salt
How to make split pea soup in the instant pot
- Switch on your instant pot and select "saute" and wait for the unit to display "hot" then add the olive oil.
- Proceed to add/saute the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Add the red bell peppers and carrots and stir.
- Press "cancel" then continue to add the split peas, sweet potato, thyme, coriander (cilantro), parsley.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk.
- Place the lid on and flick the knob to "sealing".
- Set to pressure cooker on high and adjust the +/- to 20 minutes (the unit will take several minutes to come to pressure).
- Once the cooking time is over allow the pressure to naturally release. This will take 10-15 minutes then release the excess pressure by flicking the knob to "venting".
- Remove the lid and puree the soup using a blender or immersion stick blender.
- Add the black pepper and pink salt.
Stove top version
- If you have soaked the split peas, rinse and drain them in a colander and set aside
- Melt the coconut oil on medium heat.
- Proceed to saute the onion, scallion and garlic until they become soft and translucent.
- Once softened, add the bell peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots and stir.
- Pour in the yellow split peas and stir once more so all the vegetables have combined.
- Season with the black pepper, pink salt, parsley, coriander (cilantro) and thyme.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a rolling boil then simmer on medium heat for 30-40 minutes) until the peas are tender (remove some, cool and test the readiness by smashing between your fingers).
- Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Use an immersion stick or blender to puree the contents into soup.
- Serve accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Is this recipe freezer friendly?
Yes, you can freeze the cooled down soup in freezer containers. Simply thaw out and reheat in a saucepan.
Can I add additional vegetables to the recipe?
Yes, you can add more vegetables if you wish. You can even add a bay leaf if you want to balance out the taste of the soup.
Notes and tips
- Feel free to use my Homemade Vegetable broth/stock.
- It's not crucial to soak the split peas overnight but I do recommended soaking them in a bowl of warm water.
- Feel free to use either green or yellow split peas, whichever one that is used won't impact the overall result.
- If you don't have fresh parsley, thyme or coriander (cilantro) simply use a dried version instead.
- For a chunky soup, only partially puree the soup with the immersion stick/blender. For a silky smooth soup completely puree the soup.
- The soup may become thicker as it cools down so you may need to add a splash of water to loosen up the soups texture.
More vegan soup recipes
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Instant Pot Vegan Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 ½ cup yellow split peas soaked overnight in water, if possible
- 1 large sweet potato or 2 medium
- 4 sprigs of thyme stems removed
- ¼ cup coriander/cilantro chopped (10g)
- ¼ cup parsley chopped (10g)
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon pink salt
Instructions
- Switch on your instant pot and select "saute" and wait for the unit to display "hot" then add the olive oil.
- Proceed to add/saute the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Add the red bell peppers and carrots and stir.Press "cancel" then continue to add the split peas, sweet potato, thyme, coriander (cilantro), parsley.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and coconut milk.
- Place the lid on and flick the knob to "sealing".
- Set to pressure cooker on high and adjust the +/- to 20 minutes (the unit will take several minutes to come to pressure).
- Once the cooking time is over allow the pressure to naturally release.
- This will take 10-15 minutes then release the excess pressure by flicking the knob to "venting".
- Remove the lid puree the soup using a blender or immersion stick blender.
- Add the black pepper and pink salt.
Notes
- Feel free to use my Homemade Vegetable broth/stock.
- It's not crucial to soak the split peas overnight but I do recommended soaking them in bowl of warm water
- Feel free to use either green or yellow split peas, whichever one that is used won't impact the overall result.
- If you don't have fresh parsley, thyme or coriander (cilantro) simply use a dried version instead.
- For a chunky soup, only partially puree the soup with the immersion stick/blender. For a silky smooth soup completely puree the soup.
- The soup may become thicker as it cools down so you may need to add a splash of water to loosen up the soups texture.
Jen
You called it! Today is rainy and cold and this soup is already in my IP. Cannot wait until I get my first bowl. Yum!!
Charla
Aww Jen. I'm excited for you, promise you will love it.
Dannii
I am always looking for new ways to use my instant pot and this looks delicious.
Charla
Thanks Dannii
Beth Sachs
So healthy, warming and delicious. Perfect with crusty bread.
Charla
Yes, it pairs well with crusty bread, great idea!!
Sandhya Hariharan
This Split Pea Soup looks incredible. Its got everything I would love in a soup.
Charla
Thank you so much Sandhya.
Sue
What a luscious looking soup. I am used to seeing green split peas, but the yellow ones make such a beautiful color with the carrot and sweet potato in this. Must try!
Charla
Thanks Sue. Yes, the green peas are more popular but I do enjoy using yellow ones where possible.