Vegan Split Pea Soup Recipe

As the leaves begin to change and the temperatures begin to drop, we start craving all things cozy: a roaring fire in the fireplace, classic movies on the couch bundled up in blankets, and a big bowl of piping hot soup in our laps. So when fall rolls around, we break out our trusty Staub pot and make a big batch of soup that we can eat all week.

This Vegan Split Pea Soup is healthy, hearty, and so easy to make—“easy split pea-sy!” as we like to say. We’ve adapted the original recipe to kick things up a notch with the addition of red wine vinegar and balsamic syrup. (You can also add a dash of Worcestershire and sub the vegetable stock with chicken stock for a non-vegan version.) Garnish with sprinkled vegan cheese and chopped parsley, and serve with warm, crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Bon appétit!

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped yellow onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup good olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cups medium-diced carrots (3-4 carrots)

1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)

1 lb. dried split green peas

8 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)

To kick things up a notch:

1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 Tbsp. balsamic syrup

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

Shredded vegan cheese, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a 4-quart stock pot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent (about 10-15 minutes). Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 pound of split peas, and the vegetarian stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot. Garnish with chopped parsley and shredded vegan cheese.

YIELD: 6 servings

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes