This easy vegan pea soup uses healthy everyday ingredients. Garlicky homemade croutons make it the ultimate winter comfort food.

In my last post, I wrote about my [formerly] tumultuous relationship with soup. My unwavering love for pea soup, though, has always transcended that uncertainty. As I mentioned then, we had soup every night of the week when I was growing up, and my momās vegetarian pea soup was my absolute favorite.
It often seemed to me that for her, pea soup was merely a vessel for the giant batches of oven croutons sheād make whenever we had too much stale bread lying around. For me, however, it was a tiny holiday each time the soup graced our dinner table. Iād beg for it whenever I was in bed with a cold, too. Something about that thick, porridgy texture and uncomplicated earthy flavor is just so comforting.
This vegan take on the classic does not use any ham or cream, and is inspired by my mom’s Ukrainian pea soup. It’s easy to make and takes just about an hour.
Key Vegan Pea Soup Ingredients
- Onion, Carrots, and Celery. This classic trio gives the soup a sweet, earthy foundation.
- Dried Green Split Peas. The base of the soup is this super affordable pantry staple (no frozen or canned peas here).
- Potatoes. The starch from the potatoes makes the soup extra thick and creamy.
- Smoked Paprika. Imitates the smokiness of traditional ham-based pea soup.
- Broth. While you can certainly use water, mushroom or vegetable broth will add a ton of flavor! (Psst… have you tried making broth from veggie scraps yet?)
- Lemon Juice. Brightens up the earthy soup and balances the sweetness of the carrots.
How to Make Vegan Pea Soup
Step 1: SautƩ the Vegetables
Heat oil in a medium pot and add the onions, carrots, and celery with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and spices, and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
Step 2: Add the Split Peas
Place the peas in a mesh strainer and sort through for any loose dirt/stones. Then rinse thoroughly under running water and add to the pot, along with broth and bay leaves.
Step 3: Simmer the Soup
Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the peas are starting to break down, about 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue simmering until they can be pierced easily with a fork, about 20 minutes more. Finally, season with lemon juice and more salt if needed.
Step 4: Make the Croutons
While the soup is simmering, cube up some bread and toast it in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until crispy and golden, about 5 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Green split peas can take up to 1 hour to fully cook through. To speed up cooking, soak the peas in cold water for a few hours before cooking or even overnight.
- Pea soup thickens as it cools. To bring it back to its original consistency, thin it out with a splash of water or broth when reheating.
- Vegan pea soup freezes perfectly! For long-term storage, cool the soup completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Vegan Soups…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and donāt forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
PrintVegan Pea Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy vegan pea soup uses healthy everyday ingredients. Garlicky homemade croutons make it the ultimate winter comfort food.
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 large or 2 small celery stalks, diced
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup dried green split peas
- 4 cups mushroom or vegetable broth
- 2 dried bay leaves* (see note below)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Croutons
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 slices whole wheat bread, cut into small cubes (about 2 cups)*
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon each thyme and paprika, and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Meanwhile, place 1 cup peas in a mesh strainer and sort through for any loose dirt/stones. Rinse under running water.
- Add the peas to the pot, along with 4 cups broth and 2 bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the peas are starting to break down, about 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and continue to simmer covered until the peas are completely broken down and the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes more.
- Turn the heat off and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To make the croutons, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the bread and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and toast, tossing frequently, until the bread is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Serve soup garnished with croutons. (Leftover pea soup may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If it gets too thick, thin it out with water/broth when reheating.)
Notes
- Bay leaves add an earthy flavor to the soup – if you donāt already have them, feel free to skip.
- Use any crusty, hearty-textured bread here – like ciabatta, baguette, or a country loaf. Donāt use regular sandwich bread.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.6 g
- Fiber: 11.2 g
- Protein: 9.7 g
Sofia Chernova says
This was the very first soup I ever made and Iām so happy to report how easy it was to follow your recipe. The soup turned out so yummy and lasted me 4 days!!!! Great dish for a cold winter day.
Alexandra says
So glad you enjoyed it!