My slow cooker split pea soup is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it meal! It’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients, but you’d never know it from the taste. Hearty, cozy, and comforting, this soup is bound to become a favorite in your weeknight rotation!
My smoky vegetarian split pea soup is one of my go-to easy dinner recipes, especially during the cooler months of the year. You can't beat a big, hearty one-pot soup recipe when it comes to weeknight dinners... unless you can make that meal in a slow cooker. So that's exactly what I did! My slow cooker split pea soup is about as easy as it gets — just throw a bunch of stuff into the slow cooker, and a few hours later, soup's on!
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Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Dried split peas. I used green split peas to make this soup, but if you're a fan of dishes like my yellow split pea soup or yellow split pea dal, feel free to give this one a try with yellow split peas.
- Onion.
- Potato. I make this soup with a russet potato, also known as a baking potato. If you happen to have some red or yellow potatoes on hand, go ahead and use them instead.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Spices. We're keeping it simple with a mix of ground cumin and cloves.
- Vegetable broth.
- Salt and pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Steps 1 and 2: Load up the cooker and turn it on. Place almost everything into a slow cooker: dried split peas, diced onion and potato, sliced carrots, chopped celery, minced garlic, ground cumin and cloves, and vegetable broth. Stir it up, turn on the slow cooker, and cover it with the lid.
Tip: Try to give the soup an occasional stir during the last hour or so. The split peas will start to settle to the bottom of the pot as they soften, which can slow down cooking and even lead to scorching, particularly if you're using the high setting.
Steps 3 and 4: Finish and serve. Your soup should be ready after about 3 ½ hours on high or 6 hours on low. Uncover the pot and decide if you'd like your soup a bit thinner. If so, add more broth. You can also season your soup with some salt and pepper to taste at this time.
Variations
- Switch up the spices. Try a different spice blend, like thyme and rosemary for a savory soup, curry powder and/or garam masala for a curried soup, or smoked paprika and cumin for smoky flavors.
- Try different veggies. Replace any of the veggies with your favorites, like parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, or sweet potato. You can also add some greens towards the end of cooking.
- Vary the texture. Cooking your soup longer will give you a creamier split pea soup, while reducing the cook time will make it chunkier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the recipe includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
Most of the sodium comes from the broth, so use a low sodium variety or replace some of it with water.
Your slow cooker split pea soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days, or in the freezer for about three months. The split peas will continue to soak up liquid during storage, so thin it with some broth or water when you reheat it, if needed.
Yes! This soup goes great with a side salad, like my vegan Caesar salad or vegan antipasto salad. I also love it with some bread on the side — try a good sourdough or my vegan cornbread. For toppings, try toasted pepitas, croutons, or bacon roasted chickpeas.
More Vegan Slow Cooker Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Equipment
- 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried split peas
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium russet potato, scrubbed and diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 7 cups vegetable broth, plus up to 1 additional cup, if desired
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except for the salt and pepper into a large slow cooker (4-quart or larger). Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for about 3 ½ hours, or low for about 6 hours (Note 1). Stir occasionally during the last hour.
- Optionally, thin the soup with an additional cup of broth, if you prefer thinner, brothier soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Cook times can vary among slow cookers, so keep an eye on it the first time you make this.
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