Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Vegetarian split pea soup, a meatless version of this hearty favourite. A hint of smoked paprika adds depth to this thick, wholesome soup. Note that the peas need to be soaked before starting the soup.
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 300 grams peeled split peas see notes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1200 ml water
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 300 grams potatoes diced*
- 2 medium carrots diced (about 200 grams)
- 1 medium celeriac (celery root) diced
- 1 medium leek sliced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Start by soaking the peas for two hours at room temperature. Once the peas have soaked, drain and rinse well. Set aside.300 grams peeled split peas
- Heat the oil in a large over low-medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. The onions won't be fully translucent but they should be getting there.1 tablespoon oil, 1 medium onion
- Add the water, smoked paprika, bay leaf, and the soaked peas. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.1200 ml water, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 bay leaf
- Once the peas have cooked - after 40 minutes, they should be soft - add the potatoes, carrots, celeriac, and leek. Add some salt at this point (I usually start at one teaspoon now and then add to taste once the soup is finished).
- Simmer, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-soft.
- Stir in the mustard and vinegar, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with parsley to top. Leftovers keep very well.
Notes
If using whole split peas that have the skin on, soak overnight or for 8 to 12 hours before making the soup. If you need to soak longer (e.g. start the night before you plan to make the soup the following evening) that's fine, just keep them in the refrigerator while soaking.
*The soup vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celeriac, and leek) should all be about 1.5 cm (~1 in.) in size when diced or, for the leek, sliced.
Halve the leek lengthwise before slicing to get all of the sand out of it when washing.
Storage: keep leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days, without the fresh parsley.
Freezing: transfer fully cooled soup to an airtight container and freeze up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating as usual. Split pea soup freezes very well and is a great soup to freeze in individual portions for lunches or quick dinners.