A bowl of hearty vegetarian and gluten-free Spiced Yellow Pea Soup makes a filling lunch or dinner. Fill this recipe with yoghurt, pepitas and fresh cilantro and then go for it!
In this recipe
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Split Pea Tips
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How to make this soup
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Troubleshooting Tips
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How to store and warm up
When it comes to winter soups, split peas definitely belong in the stick-to-your-ribs category.
I recently discovered that green split peas also come in a yellow variety. Cook these along with a handful of Indian spices, and you have a light, filling vegetarian dinner.
Yellow pea tops
Look for yellow split peas at any well-stocked grocery store, especially one with a good selection of Indian ingredients. Store any peas not used for this recipe in an airtight container in a cool place and use for one year.
How to make Yellow Pea Soup
Develop the flavor of this easy soup by simmering onions, celery, garlic, and fresh ginger in the pot before adding the spices (turmeric, cumin, and coriander!).
Stir the yellow peas into the mixture and then let this soup simmer for a full hour and a half.
The peas will grow in the pot (and thicken even more if you keep the soup overnight), so add more water if you want to maintain a soupy consistency.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Only add the lemon after the peas have softened completely. The acid in the lemon can keep the beans from going soft.
- If the soup gets too thick while cooking, add a little more water.
- To spice up the bright yellow in the soup, add a little extra ground turmeric.
How to store and reheat pea soup
refrigerator: Refrigerate the soup and store tightly covered for up to 1 week. Heat on stovetop until heated through.
freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or zip-lock container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat on the stovetop until warmed through. Or slowly reheat the frozen soup in a saucepan over low heat.
More hearty vegetarian soups to try
- Vegetarian tortellini soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Pasta e fagioli
- Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
- Farro, mushroom and spinach soup
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Yellow Pea Soup
If you’re having trouble with split peas that don’t seem to soften despite hours of simmering, the likely culprit is old or expired split peas. Even if you just bought your peas, who knows how long they’ve been on the shelf – or in a warehouse before they were even on the shelf! Our best advice is to buy peas from a reputable grocery store that seems to have high sales of beans and legumes. These stores are more likely to have fresh split peas.
ingredients
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2 tablespoon olive oil
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1 big Onion, finely chopped
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1 rib Celery, finely chopped
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1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
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1 (1-inch) piece fresh gingerpeeled and finely chopped
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1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
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1 jalapeno or other hot peppers, seeded, seeded and finely chopped
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1 teaspoon ground turmeric
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon ground coriander
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1 lb (2 1/4 cups) yellow peas
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2 liters (8th cups) wateror more if required
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1 bay Sheet
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1/2 teaspoon kosher saltor to taste
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Juice from 1/2 Lemon (about 4 tablespoons)or more to taste
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1/2 Cup yogurt or sour cream for serving (omit for a vegan soup)
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2 tablespoon chopped fresh corianderserve
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3 tablespoon roasted salted pepitas, serve
method
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Steam the vegetables and spices:
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, garlic, ginger and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions look translucent and soft, 8 minutes.
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Add pepperoni and spices:
Stir in jalapeno (or other hot peppers), turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Stir in peas:
Continue stirring until coated in the onion and celery mixture.
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Add water and boil:
Pour in water and bring to a boil while stirring. Add the bay leaf.
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Cook a soup:
Cover the pot and let the soup simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, until most of the peas have broken down and are soft.
Stir the soup occasionally. If the soup looks like it’s falling apart at this point, add the salt, stir and cook an additional 30 minutes until the soup looks thick and creamy, then skip to step 6.
If your split peas are still firm to the touch, cook an additional 30 to 60 minutes (2 1/2 to 3 hours total cooking time) before adding the salt. Add more water if the soup seems too thick.
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Add the lemon juice and taste to taste:
Once the split peas are soft, add the lemon juice and additional salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
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Serve soup:
Scoop into bowls and garnish with yoghurt or sour cream, coriander and pepitas.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 371 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 56g | carbohydrates |
| 22g | protein |
