Scottish Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup - vegan recipe (2024)

Scottish Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is a traditional Scots recipe. It's tasty, comforting, and a healthy option.

This is a simple vegan split pea soup made in a slow cooker.

You could definitely make it in a pot if you don't have a slow cooker, but you would need a third more stock and it would take just over half an hour to cook.

However, autumn is here and it's definitely soup and indeed slow cooker weather.

Scottish Soup

Split pea soup is a hearty soup popular in Scotland.

We've always loved soup in Scotland.

Originally it was made to stretch out what was left when there wasn't much food left in the larder or meals were made from what was grown in the garden or could be foraged.

Indeed through the years it's been made in many a home as a cheap and frugal meal.

Winters in Scotland can be pretty long and cold, so we often add pulses to our traditional soups to bulk them out and make a heartier meal.

Spit peas and lentils are the most used pulses in Scottish recipes, especially red lentils.

If you want to try some more Scottish soups, try my traditional Scottish Tattie Soup,Scottish Lentil Soup or my Vegan Scotch Broth with Barley and Kale.

What are yellow split peas?

Yellow split peas are also known as field peas, dry peas, soup peas or matar dal.

They are split in half and dried, which results in a pea that does not need to be soaked and cooks quicker.

Split peas are high in protein and fibre.

Yellow or green split peas?

There are two types of split pea, yellow and green.

The yellow split peas have an earthy flavour and the green split peas have a sweeter flavour.

They both have similar nutrients, but the yellow split peas are starchier so they give a creamier finish.

You may use either yellow or green split peas for this easy soup.

Do you need to soak split peas before cooking?

There is no need to pre-soak split peas before cooking, but if you do it will reduce the cooking time a little.

As these peas are split they cook quicker.

However, do give them a good rinse before adding them to remove any grit.

They do take about 35 minutes to cook.

Can I use a different pulse to make split pea soup?

You can easily make a tweak and use different pulses to make this style of soup.

You want a pulse the will go soft on cooking for a creamy soup.

You could use yellow or green split peas or even red lentils.

Green and brown lentils wouldn't work as they hold their shape, so you would not end up with a creamy thick soup.

If you used a firm lentil like green or brown, the stock quantities would have to be changed too. Better to stick to split peas or red lentils.

Slow cooker soup

The perfect thing about slow cooker soup is you can dump the ingredients in your crockpot, switch it on and get on with your day.

You don't need to do pre-any cooking before you add the ingredients to the slow cooker either.

To speed things up, chop your veg in the evening and pop them in the fridge, then weigh out your split peas and pop them in a tub.

In the morning you just throw it all in the slow cooker with spices, seasoning and stock, then you can leave it cooking while you head off to work or get on with your day at home.

Only 5 minutes and the prep is done.

Cooking split pea soup in a pot

If you don't have a slow cooker, you could cook this soup in a pot.

You will need to add a third more stock, maybe a little more.

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic until soft, then add the celery and carrots and cook for a few more minutes

Add the spices and mix in well, then add the split peas and stock and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Season, then blend until smooth.

Is split pea soup suitable for vegans?

This split pea soup is suitable for vegans, but many are not suitable.

Traditional split pea soup is cooked with ham.

So do be careful when ordering it in a cafe or restaurant and ask if it's vegan.

Of course, if you make it yourself, you know just what is in it.

How to serve split pea soup

Here are some ideas of how to serve split pea soup

1. With oatcakes (very Scottish)
2. With a plain or cheese scone (also very Scottish)
3. With crusty bread.
4. With a cheese toastie
5. With garlic bread

How long can you store split pea soup?

Once it is cool, you can store split pea soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days

To cool it quickly, spoon it into the airtight container and let it sit for a little while.

Don't put it in the fridge hot, or you will be making your fridge work harder and will put a strain on the cooling system.

What to do if the soup thickens overnight

It's very common for lentil and split pea soups to thicken as they cool.

There is an easy fix, just add some extra water ir even stock.

Don't add too much as it will thin a little as it heats up too, so it is easy to over thin the soup

Can you freeze split pea soup?

Soups made with split peas or lentils freeze really well.

Allow the soup to cool, then freeze portions in labelled freezer bags or tubs for 3-4 months.

To defrost, remove a portion from the freezer the night before you need it and allow it to defrost gently in the fridge overnight.

Of course, if you are in a rush you can use your microwave (if you have one) to defrost the soup, using the recommended settings.

More vegan slow cooker recipes to try

Here are a few of my favourite slow cooker recipes for you to try:

• - the ultimate creamy and cheesy vegan mac and cheese, perfect when you need some comfort
• - an easy curry that's light on sauce with great flavours
• Slow Cooker Pizza Potatoes - Love pizza? Love potatoes? You'll love this! A must-try recipe.
• Slow Cooker Vegan Irish Stew - a vegan twist on an Irish stew with lentils and beer.
• Vegan Spinach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells - oh boy do I love this dish of giant stuffed shells with a creamy filling and rich tomato sauce