Cozy up to a bowl of spicy and flavorful One-Pot Yellow Split Pea Soup.

There are a few things I've been endlessly craving lately. Comforting soups, meaty mushrooms, and pulses of all kinds. This one-pot soup checks off all three boxes, so it's no surprise I'll be making it on the reg for at least the next couple of months.

The star of this recipe is definitely the bag of yellow split peas that's been hanging out in my pantry for the past few months. In an effort to use what I have and make fewer trips to the grocery store, I've been searching for ways to use all of the hidden gems that have been stashed deep in the back of the cabinet. So far, it's been well worth the extra digging.

Yellow Split Pea Soup in a brown ceramic bowl with cream linen napkin.

Yellow split peas are probably most famously used to make dal, a pulse-based dish from India. You can use any type of lentil or split pea to make dal, but yellow split peas are especially common in the northern regions.

My pantry-friendly/fridge-foraged soup recipe isn't exactly like traditional dal, but it does have lots of garlic, ginger, turmeric, and coriander, so you still get plenty of Indian-inspired flavors.

Even beyond the flavor, there are tons of other great reasons to try this soup.

You only need one pot
It's ready in less than an hour
Contains fiber, protein, and lots of immune-boosting micronutrients
Utilizes pantry-friendly ingredients
Great for meal prep
Freezer-friendly

Have I convinced you yet?

Instructions

To prep, rinse the yellow split peas and chop an onion, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic.

There's no need to soak the yellow split peas before you cook them. Like lentils, split peas cook relatively quickly even without soaking. Feel free to soak overnight if you want to reduce the cooking time. This could potentially make the yellow split peas easier to digest, too.

You can make this entire recipe with just one large stockpot. Place it on the stovetop over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom.

Add red onion and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent. Then, add garlic, ginger, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms darken in color. If the vegetables start sticking to the bottom of the pot at any time, just stir in a little more oil and continue cooking. You can also lower the heat as needed.

Chopped vegetables on a wood cutting board.

Once the vegetables are sautéed, pour in the vegetable broth, water, yellow split peas, coriander, and turmeric. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce heat to low-medium and cook until the yellow split peas are tender.

I simmered this soup for about 25 minutes for peas on the firmer side. If you prefer a softer texture, cook the soup longer, adding water as needed to thin out the mixture.

Root-to-Stem Cooking Tip:

Besides utilizing pantry ingredients, I've also been trying to use the entire vegetable when I cook. This is called root-to-stem cooking. Try it out with the carrots in this recipe (assuming they came with the green parts attached).

Just finely chop the carrot tops and stir them into the pot during the final 5 minutes of cooking.

There's also no need to peel the carrots before you add them to the soup. Give them a good rinse, chop them up, and add them to the pot.

Yellow split pea soup in brown ceramic bowl.

How to Serve This Recipe

I love a little garnish to add color, texture, and flavor to a finished dish. Try this Yellow Split pea Soup topped with cilantro, fresh chives, and toasted sunflower seeds.

How to Toast Sunflower Seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spread sunflower seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Then, bake the sunflower seeds for 5 minutes or until they turn golden brown and smell nutty and toasty.

Yellow Split Pea Mushroom Soup in brown ceramic bowl with cream linen napkin.

Can you make this recipe in advance? What's the best way to store it?

This one-pot soup is perfect for meal prep. To store it, transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

Ingredient Substitutions:

If you don't have yellow split peas, substitute green split peas or lentils
Out of fresh carrots? Replace with frozen or canned carrots instead
In place of fresh mushrooms, use dry (any type works)
If you don't have sunflower seeds, omit or try pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or slivered almonds

Horizontal image of yellow pea soup in brown ceramic bowl.

📖 Recipe

More Vegan Soup Recipes:

Looking for More Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes?

My Easy Vegetarian Meal Prep ebook includes plant-based nutrition tips, 4 weekly meal plans, meal planning formulas and templates, and 50 make-ahead recipes that will help you:⁠ ⁠