Vegan Split Pea Soup

Our vegan Split Pea Soup is the perfect comforting dinner. It's hearty and filling, packed with vegetables and fresh herbs, and comes together in one pot. Topped with crispy mushroom "bacon", this soup will be a hit with your family.

🥣 Why We Love This Recipe

• Packed with vegetables: With carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, spinach, and mushrooms, this soup is a great way to serve a filling and comforting nutrient-packed dinner.
• Mushroom bacon: We cooked up smoky, crunchy, delicious mushroom bacon as a vegan substitute for the pork that's usually in a split pea soup. It's amazing as a topping or even as a snack!
• Kid and family friendly: This soup is a great way to get your family and friends to eat their veggies! Despite being vegan, it's super rich and packed with flavor.

🥬 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make this vegan split pea soup:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Split peas: Kind of an unusual ingredient, but obviously very necessary to this soup. You can find them dried, usually next to all of the other dried beans and grains. Be sure to sort & rinse before using!
• Potatoes: Potatoes add heft and creaminess to this hearty soup. They're definitely a must! I typically opt for yellow potatoes, but red potatoes will work, too.
• Fresh herbs: We're all about fresh herbs in soup. This one calls for fresh parsley, dill and oregano, which really boosts the flavor. Dried can work in a pinch – just all ⅓ of the amount.
• Spinach: For extra green! And nutrients, of course. Wait to add until just before the soup is finished.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed, always. All good soups need a hint of acidity to balance out all of the flavors.
• Shiitake mushrooms are the best choice for the mushroom bacon topping. They have a natural smoky, earthy flavor and meaty texture. Plus, they're pretty easy to find in most grocery stores.
• Vegetable broth: Want to make your own? Try this recipe made from leftover vegetable scraps.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(2) Add celery, carrots, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

(3) Add rinsed and drained split peas and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.  

(4) Add the parsley and dill to the soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

(5) Purée 4 cups of soup in a heat resistant blender with the lemon juice and spinach. Pour the pureed soup back into the soup pot and stir well.

Mushroom Bacon:

(1) While the soup is cooking, add 1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil to a sauté pan over medium heat.

(2) Once heated, add the mushrooms, stir, and cook the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes. 

(3) Stir together tamari (or soy sauce), liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and salt. Pour it over the mushrooms and turn the heat up to medium high.

(4) Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Turn off heat and set aside while you finish the rest of the soup.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Mushroom bacon is optional: While it does add a lot of flavor to this vegan split pea soup, it's not totally necessary.
• If you opt to make the mushroom bacon, make sure not to crowd the pan too much to ensure it stays hot and creates a crispy exterior on the mushrooms.
• Topping ideas: In addition to the mushroom bacon, we'd recommend adding a drizzle of vegan sour cream, yogurt, or coconut cream, and a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill.
• Storage: If you plan on storing it for a while, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. If you're not freezing it, it would be best to consume within 2-3 days.
• Reheating: If you're reheating from frozen, remove from the freezer and let it thaw overnight or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Reheat in a large pot over medium low heat. You may need to add some extra vegetable broth to the soup if it looks too thick upon reheating.

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