Scottish yellow split pea soup is one of my favourite easy soup recipes. Yellow split peas are simmered with a few vegetables, vegetable stock and seasoning for a bowl of soup that is tasty, filling and nutritious.
My easy yellow split pea soup recipe shows you just what you can produce with a few simple and inexpensive ingredients. This soup recipe is based on an old fashioned yellow split pea soup, one my mum made and her mum before her.
This vegetarian yellow split pea soup will thicken naturally the longer it sits as the peas will break down. If you want to thin it down again, no problem, just add a splash of water or vegetable stock to achieve the desired consistency.
Why you'll love this recipe
- With a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, you can produce a bowl of hearty soup.
- Make ahead the day before and allow the soup to sit, it will taste even better the next day.
- A healthy bowl of soup full of protein dense yellow split peas and vitamin and mineral rich vegetables.
- This soup is suitable for gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets.
Recipe ingredients
- Yellow split peas - I use dried yellow split peas, washed under cold running water before adding to the pan.
- Vegetables - I use onions, carrots and swede in this simple vegetable soup.
- Stock - for an entirely plant based soup, use vegetable stock.
- Seasoning - I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
How to make yellow split pea soup
- Place the yellow split peas into a large sieve and place under a cold running tap. Wash the peas to remove any dust and until the water runs clear.
- Now place the split peas into a large soup pan, along with the vegetables, stock and salt.
- Place the soup pan over high heat and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the peas have softened.
- At this stage the soup is cooked, for a rougher texture to the soup, remove the vegetables and peas from the pan, onto a plate, and mash with a potato masher.
- Then return the vegetables to the pan, taste for seasoning, add the black pepper and more salt if required.
TOP TIP: For a smoother soup, you can blend using a stand blender or immersion stick blender.
Recipe variations
- Legumes - you can use other dried legumes in this recipe, like green split peas, or red lentils, but the cooking times will vary depending on which dried legume you choose.
- Vegetables - feel free to add other vegetables to this soup, try parsnips, celery or leeks.
- Stock - you can swap the vegetable stock for chicken or ham stock.
- Seasoning - feel free to add some ground spices to the soup, try ground cumin, turmeric, paprika, red pepper flakes or curry powder.
- Fresh herbs - add some fresh herbs like garlic, bay leaves, parsley or thyme to the soup while it is cooking.
Serving suggestions
This is a filling and hearty bowl of soup, perfect for lunch or for a light dinner dish. Keep things simple and serve the soup with a side of crusty bread or toasted bread, or some oatcakes as I've done here.
Useful hints and tips
- Take time to properly wash the split peas before adding to the soup. This washed away any dust or grit and does result in a less cloudy, tastier bowl of soup.
- Check the soup for seasoning before serving, the right amount of salt and pepper makes a big difference to the taste of the finished dish.
- Use a gluten free stock and this soup is suitable for coeliacs and gluten free diners.
- Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free and vegan diners.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
Yellow split peas are a dried legume, the peeled and split seeds of pisum sativum which is the same family as garden peas. Yellow split peas are known as the field pea or soup pea; also matar dal in Indian cuisine.
Yellow split peas are great to use in soups. As well as having a creamy texture when cooked, they are also high in protein which means this soup will keep you fuller for longer.
Red lentils or green split peas are good substitutes are they have a very similar texture when cooked. Just be sure to adjust cooking times if using an alternative legume.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this recipe then try some of these soup recipes:
- Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup
- Leek & Potato Soup
- Leek, Potato & Chickpea Soup
- Curried Chickpea & Vegetable Soup
- Thai Beetroot Soup
- Wild Garlic Soup
For some great hints and tips on how to make a great bowl of soup, have a read of my 20 Simple Soup Recipes post. This features some delicious soup recipes for you to try!
Scottish Yellow Split Pea Soup
Equipment
- chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- large sieve
- large soup pan or stock pot
Ingredients
- 450 g yellow split peas
- 2 onions (diced)
- 500 g carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 400 g swede (peeled and chopped)
- 2.5 ltr vegetable stock (or use chicken or ham stock)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the yellow split peas into a large sieve and place under a cold running tap. Wash the peas to remove any dust and until the water runs clear.
- Now place the split peas into a large soup pan, along with the vegetables, stock and salt.
- Place the soup pan over high heat and bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the peas have softened.
- At this stage the soup is cooked, for a rougher texture to the soup, remove the vegetables and peas from the pan, onto a plate, and mash with a potato masher. Then return the vegetables to the pan, taste for seasoning, add the black pepper and more salt if required.
- For a smoother soup, you can blend using a stand blender or immersion stick blender.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Cat says
Oh this was so full of flavour and comforting. Such a delicious soup.
Lesley says
Thank you Cat, this soup really is the perfect bowl of comfort food.
Chloe says
Ah-ha! I've made similar soups before and enjoyed the flavour but not the texture - turns out I was missing the mashing step which was the game changer!
Lesley says
Glad to help Chloe. My Mum always mashed rather than blended and I prefer a texture to this sort of soup.