January 25, 2017
(last updated May 7, 2020) 
I shared a few of my winter cooking goals last week, and high on the list was getting back into the habit of making big batches of simple food–enough to enjoy as leftovers, freeze, and defrost as needed. Soups are an obvious candidate for this kind of cooking, and this vegan split pea soup with smoky tempeh croutons is a great place to start. Last night, after a long day of chilly drizzle and relentless wind, Steven and I dug our spoons into two piping hot bowls of it. We scooped up the last bits with toast, and we agreed that nothing could have hit the spot better.
I originally intended for this soup to end up in the cookbook that’ll come to life next year–hence Ashley‘s beautiful photographs in this post. It won’t appear in the book after all, but I loved the recipe enough that I wanted to find a home for it here.
Failed recipes are an inevitable part of cookbook writing, and this project was no exception. Sometimes I got carried away with my pet flavor preferences and didn’t think hard enough about balance or variety. Sometimes I fell in love with the idea of a finished dish, but I underestimated how complicated it would be to make. Sometimes I liked how a recipe turned out, but none of my testers did. I never expect unanimous positive feedback on a recipe–tastes are just too varied. But when all of my testers had the same critical feedback, it was time to go back to the drawing board.
Those were the castoffs. Then there were the recipes that I (and my testers) really loved, but which didn’t fit into the finished recipe list for whatever reason. Usually this happened when two recipes felt overly similar, and I had to choose between them; sometimes it happened when a recipe featured an ingredient that was already well-represented in the book (ahem, chickpeas).
Deb Perelman calls this category of recipes “displacements,” to distinguish them from “rejections,” and I like that name. It’s a reminder that these are good recipes–they just weren’t recipes that belonged in the final cut. They might still become cherished favorites at home, and I have a feeling that this will be my go-to split pea soup recipe from now on.
I have a weakness for really thick soups–the kind that you can stand a spoon in. Texture is a personal thing, though, so feel free to add more liquid to this soup as you like. I suggest starting with 6-8 cups of broth (or a combination of broth and water) and adding extra as needed.
Lately I’ve started soaking split peas before cooking them, because I find that their cooking time can vary widely (some of my recipe testers said that this soup took an hour to simmer, others said that it took 90 minutes). Even a 1-2 hour soak can make a big difference, and soaking overnight will definitely reduce cooking time to an hour at most. If you do soak the peas, you’ll probably need only 6-7 cups broth. If you don’t have time or don’t remember to soak them, no worries–just be aware that you may need more than an hour of simmering for them to be tender.
With pureed or partially pureed soups like this, I like to add a little something for texture. In this cold weather, I invite that “something” to be more hearty than usual–hence the tempeh croutons. Regular, rustic bread croutons would be great, but I really love what tempeh adds to the dish: not only an earthy flavor, but also protein, fiber, and iron. The cubes here are very similar to my favorite lemon pepper baked tempeh cubes, but with the addition of smoked paprika. They’re easy to make, and if you have any leftover after your soup, you can toss them into a salad or bowl.
Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tempeh Croutons
Author -Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more to taste
- 1 pound 2 1/4 cups green split peas, soaked for few hours (or overnight) and drained, if possible
- 2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced (about 3/4 lb)
- 6-8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
For the tempeh croutons:
- 8 ounces tempeh cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Black pepper
Instructions
- To prepare the tempeh croutons, whisk together the lemon juice, tamari, syrup, oil, smoked paprika, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Place the tempeh cubes in a glasslock container. Pour the marinade over the cubes, cover, and shake a bit to coat. Refrigerate the cubes and allow them to marinate for at least an hour, or up to 12 hours. When the cubes are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the cubes from the marinade (discarding the marinade) and transfer them to a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy at the edges. The cubes will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To prepare the soup, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are soft and clear. Add the garlic, thyme, and paprika. Saute for another minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the salt, pepper, split peas, potato, and 6 cups broth to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the split peas are very tender. Stir the soup every now and then. If it seems too thick for your liking after 40 minutes or so, add the remaining broth as needed.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup partially or entirely, if you like (you can also transfer a portion of it to a standing blender, blend, then return the puree to the soup pot). Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed. Finally, stir in the lemon juice.
- To serve, divide the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a few tempeh croutons. You can also crumble the tempeh over the soup if you prefer!
Notes
Leftover soup will keep for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 1 month.
This soup is generous enough that I’ve got two portions in the freezer and another few to keep me going till the end of this week. Batch cooking is back in action, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Hope you’ll enjoy this satisfying, smoky, protein-packed bowl of goodness–and I’ll be back on Friday with a cookbook review and giveaway.
xo
All images in this post courtesy of Ashley McLaughlin.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Visit my privacy policy to learn more.
Categories: Recipes,
Soups
Method: One Pot, Oven
Ingredients: Tempeh
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: One Pot, Oven
Ingredients: Tempeh
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Leave a Comment
Looks great. Silly question. Is it 1 lb PLUS 2 1/4 cups of split peas? Thank you
Not silly! I can see why you asked. No, it’s not plus: it’s 1 lb, which is about 2 1/4 cups.
I made this soup. Everyone loved it! Next time need to make double batch
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!
Hi there. This soup looks delicious. I was wondering if you add the smoked paprika to the tempeh crouton mixture in step 1. Does it go into the lemon juice and tamari mixture in the beginning? I don’t see it mentioned. Also, in the picture did you sprinkle it on top of the soup?
Hi Samantha! Good question, and an error on my part, so thanks for the catch. Yes, the paprika goes into the marinade with the lemon and tamari. And my photographer (this recipe was originally intended to be in my cookbook, though ultimately we left it out) did also sprinkle it on the soup, but you definitely don’t have to ๐
Hi Gena! Thank you for your quick reply. I’m making it today! So excited to try it!
Hi Gena, I love thick soups too and this recipe looks right up my street! Thanks, Sarah.
I can’t wait to try this recipe later! It looks lovely! Thanks for sharing it Gena.
I can’t wait to try one on my own!
You always get me craving tempeh, Gena! And I love this idea of sharing the cast-offs from the book here too. Cause I know they all have to be so stellar still. Totally going to pick up some tempeh today to play with cause of you. Hope you are doing super well girl, I cannot wait to see this gem of a book – your skills and sweet willingness to share yourself with us is so appreciated. <3
I love split pea, this recipe looks delicious! I’ll have to give it a try
Your split pea soup seems much better than my recipe. I’m so gonna try this this tonight! By the way, is it okay to use melted butter rather than olive oil? Thanks for this recipe!
I’ve been searching for a split pea soup recipe and this looks perfect – excited to try it for tomorrow’s lunch!
thank you for this version of split pea, love the tempeh croutons, great flavor addition to replace, the ham or bacon, for instance!
This Vegan Split Tea looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
– Gustavo Woltmann
I have all of these ingredients so this sounds like the perfect cozy weekend meal <3
Tempeh croutons sound fantastic, and this soup looks amazing.
I love the idea of tempeh “croutons”!! And I love split pea soup. It’s so very cold and dreary here today. I wish I had a batch of this already made and waiting for me at home tonight.
Hi Gena,
I love your website and your book! Just want to point out though that this isn’t soy free, given the tempeh and tamari. I’m always looking for vegan, gf, soy-free recipes, and your site is a treasure trove. Keep up the beautiful work!
Thanks, Danielle! I must have checked it accidentally — appreciate the head’s up ๐
I can’t even imagine writing a cookbook, Gena. All the heart and soul poured into it (I’m not sure I could ever meet a deadline as creativity comes slow for me!).. then testing, tasting, adjusting… the feedback. It must be challenging when, like you say, tastes are SO varied! I’m looking forward to your anticipated book. This soup has so much I love about soup… thick, rich, hearty… any soup with smoked paprika has my name on it. I’ve yet to prepare tempeh at home. This just may be the nudge. Thank you again, Gena for another great recipe!
I was like, “HMMMM I recognize this dish.”
Yum Yum Yum. I want a batch of tempeh croutons just to snack on. May have to do that next week! haha