Vegan Pea Soup with Garlicky Croutons

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 mom’s 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 she’d 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. I’d 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: Sauté 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.