Thick and creamy with large chunks of vegetables and tender pearl barley, this is not your average split pea soup. Rich in flavor and nutrition this vegetable soup is naturally vegan and budget friendly.
I was definitely inspired by the California Pizza Kitchen split pea soup. This isn’t a copycat recipe, but I really liked the thick, hearty texture of their version and that is what I was striving to recreate.
This recipe gives you all the chunky vegetables with pea thickened broth, and a deep rich flavor that hits the spot every time.
The ingredients for this soup are easy to find, inexpensive, and deliver a filling vegetarian meal for just a few dollars.
Try Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup or 30-Minute Tomato Basil Bisque for more hearty vegetarian soup options.
Ingredients
Dried Split Peas- Dried Green Peas are full of fiber and protein and break down nicely in broth for a smooth but thick soup.
Pearl Barley- This adds rib sticking goodness to your vegetable soup, adding a nice chewy texture and nutty flavor.
Carrots, Celery, Yellow Onion, and Garlic- These soup essentials make up this recipe's base and are used in large quantities for deep flavor and great nutrition.
Vegetable Broth- Using broth adds deep long simmered flavor without having to cook all day long. Vegetable broth is great for plant based diets.
Instructions
Step 1
- Rinse dried split peas in a colander and pick out any field debris or bad peas. I look for peas that are badly discolored or show damage.
Step 2
- Next, heat a large soup pot and add olive oil.
- Then, sauté diced carrots, celery, yellow onion, and minced garlic together until onions are soft and translucent.
- Season the cooked vegetables with salt, pepper, paprika, and dried parsley.
Step 3
- Then add cleaned peas to the pot along with four cups of vegetable broth and 4 cups of water.
- Bring the broth to a low simmer and cook on low heat with the lid on for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through to make sure peas and vegetables do not burn at the bottom of the pot.
Step 4
- After 20 minutes have passed, add a cup of pearl barley and stir in. Continue to cook on low with the lid on for 30 more minutes. Stir the pot every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.
The pearl barley should be tender but have a bit of chewiness and the peas should be soft and will be mostly broken down into the broth to make a thick creamy stew.
FAQs
Place dried peas in a colander. Carefully, run your fingers through the peas and pick out any damaged or discolored peas as well as any rocks, leaves, general field debris. (There won’t be much.)
Then rinse the peas under cool water to remove any dirt.
A quick rinse under cool water is all that is needed to prepare barley for cooking. This removes any dust or debris from this natural product.
This vegetable soup can be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Simply place cold soup into a small pot and simmer on low. The soup will be very thick when it is cool, but will thin again as it reheats. If it doesn’t get as thin as you would like, you can add water or broth a quarter cup at a time to get the desired texture.
It freezes very well and can be kept in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Leave in the fridge overnight to defrost and reheat on the stove using low heat.
Tips for Success
Keep the heat very low and keep the lid on while cooking so that the liquids are absorbed by the peas and the barley rather than evaporating out. If too much liquid evaporates, you may need to add more broth or water to completely cook the barley.
Related Recipes
- Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg Noodles
- Avgolemono Soup (Greek Chicken Lemon & Rice
- Italian Meatball: Wedding Soup
- Leftover Turkey Corn Chowder
- Mushroom Chicken Wild Rice Soup
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"📖 Recipe"
Split Pea Vegetable Soup with Pearl Barley
Equipment
- Soup Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Dried Green Split Peas 1 pound bag, cleaned
- 1 Cup Pearl Barley rinsed
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 2 Carrots diced
- 2 Stalks Celery diced
- 1 Clove Garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Tablespoon Salt Course or Kosher
- ½ Tablespoon Pepper
- ½ Tablespoon Paprika
- ½ Tablespoon Dried Parsley
Instructions
- Rinse dried split peas in a colander and pick out any field debris or bad peas. I look for peas that are badly discolored or show damage.
- Next, heat a large soup pot and add olive oil.
- Then, sauté diced carrots, celery, yellow onion, and minced garlic together until onions are soft and translucent.
- Season the cooked vegetables with salt, pepper, paprika, and dried parsley.
- Then add cleaned peas to the pot along with four cups of vegetable broth and 4 cups of water.
- Bring the broth to a low simmer and cook on low heat with the lid on for 20 minutes. Stir halfway through to make sure peas and vegetables do not burn at the bottom of the pot.
- After 20 minutes have passed, add a cup of pearl barley and stir in. Continue to cook on low with the lid on for 30 more minutes. Stir the pot every 10 minutes.
- The pearl barley should be tender but have a bit of chewiness and the peas should be soft and will be mostly broken down into the broth to make a thick creamy stew.
Notes
- Keep the heat very low while simmering the soup to prevent burning at the bottom of the pot.
- Keep the lid on while cooking so that the liquids are absorbed by the peas and the barley rather than evaporating out. If too much liquid evaporates, you may need to add more broth or water to completely cook the barley.
Nutrition
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Lauren
The soup came out great until I tasted it. I don't know if it was a mistake in the recipe that called for 1 tablespoon of salt, but it was way too salty! I should have listened to my cooking intuition that told me that 1 tablespoon was much too salty for this recipe because that was what I thought when I read it and I even put in a little less. Luckily there are some quick fixes for over salty soup, otherwise, I would have had to toss out the entire thing. Please check your measurements on this one.
Diana Reis
I'm sorry this was too salty for your taste. It is a good sized pot and that measurement is what I actually used. There could be some variation of our broths. I didn't use low sodium, but I do buy a brand that I think is less salty. Also, if you used all broth and no water this could greatly effect the saltiness. I'm glad you managed to make it work and it wasn't a waste.