Split Pea Lentil Soup

By
Giora Shimoni
Giora Shimoni
A kosher food enthusiast and home cook with hundreds of published recipes, Giora Shimoni has worked in online publishing for over 20 years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/25/21
Split Pea Lentil Soup

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 80 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
194 Calories
4g Fat
31g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 571mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 12g 42%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 481mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This easy-to-make and wholesome soup is especially nice to serve for a fall or winter family meal or Shabbat dinner. The mixture of split peas and lentils gives this vegetable soup a nice texture, especially once it is blended until smooth. While it takes a little over an hour to cook, it's mostly hands-off, making it an easy cold-weather meal.

Dunk fresh, crusty bread or challah into it for a nourishing meal. Follow this simple, flavorful soup with a savory mushroom and onion omelet or a wrap sandwich. Carry the comfort food theme through dessert with these dairy-free oatmeal raisin cookies with chocolate and nuts.

 

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 3 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped

  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1 1/2 cups dried split peas, picked over and rinsed

  • 1/2 cup green or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for optional garnish

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for optional garnish

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Split Pea Lentil Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.

    Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves and saute in the pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Add the split peas, lentils, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.

    Add the split peas, lentils, and water to the vegetable mixture in the pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, basil, and thyme. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 40 minutes, or until the peas are falling apart and the vegetables are soft enough to mash.

    Stir the parsley, salt, pepper, basil, and thyme into the soup

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or let the soup cool a bit and pour it in batches into a stand blender and pureé. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

    blend the Split Pea Lentil Soup using an immersion blender

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

  • Before using dry split peas or lentils, sift through them with your fingers, looking for shriveled up peas or even small rocks. Discard any rejects and rinse and drain well.
  • Note that the cook time will vary depending on the age of your dried lentils and split peas. Older peas and beans take longer to cook than fresher ones.
  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The soup can be frozen for up to three months.

Recipe Variation

For extra flavor, replace some of the water with vegetable broth.