Split Pea Soup is something that I had always figured was off limits for vegans as I only of the old fashioned way of making it with ham bones. However, I knew there had to be a way to make Split Pea Soup vegan. I did a lot of reading on different recipes and realized making a vegan Split Pea Soup would actually be quite easy. In fact, this is the second easiest soup recipe I’ve come up with: simply add everything to a pot with some water and let it go (this one is the easiest). The resulting Split Pea Soup is so rich, it could be a meal all on its own.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 1:15
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups green split peas
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled into very small pieces
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sort the peas in a mesh strainer, removing any stones or impurities. Rinse them clean.

2. Combine the peas, celery, carrot, onion, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne in a soup pot and cover with 2 quarts of water.

3. Bring the pot to a boil. Keep at a high simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Let the mixture cook for another 45-50 minutes, or until the peas are completely tender. When the peas are tender, stir in the seasoned salt, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Use an immersion blender to puree the peas into a soup. If you don’t have one, add the cooked pea mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

6. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a quick boil once more, then remove from heat immediately. If the soup seems too thick, add some hot water or vegetable broth to thin it out to the desired consistency.

7. Serve hot. Keep leftover soup in a sealed container. When the soup is chilled, it will solidify. Adding a little water and stirring as you reheat will help the soup to heat up more smoothly.