Delicious and comforting vegetarian split pea soup. This easy slow cooker split pea soup takes just 10 minutes to prepare! Try it the next time you have a busy day and enjoy coming home to a warm, nourishing dinner.
Last night, well morning actually, I made a batch of vegetarian slow cooker split pea soup. Split pea soup is something Yummy Hubby has mentioned loving when he was growing up and a dinner I’ve been meaning to make for a long while now. A couple of weeks ago one of my best friends sent me a text asking about vegetarian split pea soup. She had made some for dinner and it didn’t turn out quite the way she was hoping. She said that while the flavor was wonderful, the peas didn’t seem to break down enough. So I decided to research split pea soup, and come up with my own version that is vegetarian and vegan, since most seem to include ham. Split pea soup takes a while to cook, so to me it seems to have been made for the slow cooker.
Vegetarian split pea soup may be the least photogenic recipe I have ever posted, but it’s so easy, nutritious, and budget-friendly I just had to share it with you. When we got home late from gymnastics I was so thankful for a warm dinner ready to go. Thank you, slow cooker! It’s dinners like this slow cooker soup that remind me that eating well doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. Tossing the split pea soup ingredients into the slow cooker took less time than take-out and was so much more appreciated. While the title is vegetarian split pea soup, this recipe is completely vegan. Learn about the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based here.
When Yummy Hubby tasted this soup he said, “It’s just like my mom used to make! I love it!” Is there anything better than that? Well yes… when my mom stopped by later that night, there was still warm soup in the slow cooker for her to have dinner too! I really need to implement my slow cooker more often!
Vegetarian split pea soup just requires a few simple, pure, real food ingredients. I’ve been keeping a bag of dried split peas in the pantry for just this reason.
To make this easy peasy (get it? sorry) soup, rinse the peas well. Did you know that peas are a good source of plant based protein, iron, and B-vitamins?
Next we employ the fancy and complex dump and go method. All the ingredients go into the slow cooker, we cover it, and let it do it’s thing for 6-8 hours.
When you get home from work or your busy day, your warm split pea soup is waiting for you. Check out the ultimate list of Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes here!
Vegetarian Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
This comforting vegetarian and vegan split pea soup takes just a few minutes to prepare for the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz.) bag dried split peas
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 7 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Rinse dried peas several times and drain. Place peas in the slow cooker and the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover and set slow cooker to low for 6-8 hours.
- Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. Use a whisk to stir the soup and break up the peas. Add water if needed to thin. If you like your soup smoother, use an immersion blender to blend. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. I like to serve my split pea soup with toasted baguette slices for dipping.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1747mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 6g
