• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • About Sam
    • FAQ's about veganism
    • Press
    • Contact
      • Reader Inquiries
      • Business Inquiries
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Video
  • Start Here

It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • Start Here
    • Full Recipe Index
    • FAQ About Veganism
    • Cooking Videos
    • Vegan for Beginners
    • Learn to Make Vegan Cheese
    • Vegan Recipes for Kids
    • Get Every New Recipe!
    • Press
    • Contact me
    • Business Inquiries
  • Join over 400,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Recipes
    • Start Here
      • Full Recipe Index
      • FAQ About Veganism
      • Cooking Videos
      • Vegan for Beginners
      • Learn to Make Vegan Cheese
      • Vegan Recipes for Kids
      • Get Every New Recipe!
      • Press
      • Contact me
      • Business Inquiries
  • Join over 400,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    February 17, 2021 43 Comments

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham!

    1.8K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This easy vegan split pea soup recipe is hearty, flavor-packed, warming, and lick the bowl scrumptious! There is a reason this classic soup recipe is a staple for many: it's easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and oh my is it ever delicious.

    Traditionally split pea soup is made with ham making it not vegan at all, but in my recipe, I coat small cubes of tofu in liquid smoke before baking it, which results in chewy smoky blissful tofu bites. Seriously, you may have to stop yourself from eating all the tofu straight from the pan!

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham! Hearty, flavor-packed, warming, and lick the bowl scrumptious! There is a reason this classic soup recipe is a staple for many: it's easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and oh my is it ever delicious. The perfect make-ahead meal. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #soup

    Vegan split pea soup does require several ingredients and about an hour to make, but every ingredient I use is easy to find at your local grocery store, and every step is very simple. Most of the time is spent letting the soup simmer and the tofu bake. So it's actually a very easy meal to prepare, my kinda recipe.

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham! Hearty, flavor-packed, warming, and lick the bowl scrumptious! There is a reason this classic soup recipe is a staple for many: it's easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and oh my is it ever delicious. The perfect make-ahead meal. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #soup

    I'm in love with how flavourful but also how healthy this soup is! Vegan split pea soup has become a regular for me during the chillier months. This soup is also the perfect make-ahead meal. It stores well in the fridge and can even be frozen. While you can stir the tofu into the soup, the tofu won't stay as chewy so I like to store the prepared tofu and the prepared soup seperately.

    How to make Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Tofu Ham:

    Toss the tofu with liquid smoke, soy sauce, and garlic powder.

    I like to make the tofu ham first, because the tofu will get chewier the longer it sits out... and I LOVE chewy 🙂

    To make the tofu ham: Mix the soy sauce, liquid smoke, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the tofu and toss well to coat.

    Bake the tofu until golden and chewy.

    Spread the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir a few times, until the tofu is golden brown and chewy. The tofu will get chewier as it sits out.

    Sauté the vegetables.

    Next, make the split pea soup:
    In the meantime, melt the vegan butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.

    Add the broth, split peas, and all the remaining ingredients.

    Add the vegetable broth, split peas, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper.

    Cook until the soup is thickened.

    Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 -45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are cooked through and the soup has reached your desired thickness and mushiness. If your soup is too thin, simply cook it longer until it reaches desired thickness. If your soup gets too thick, add a splash more vegetable broth or water to thin it out. Serve the soup hot with a handful of prepared tofu ham on top, and an optional sprinkle of fresh parsley.

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham! Hearty, flavor-packed, warming, and lick the bowl scrumptious! There is a reason this classic soup recipe is a staple for many: it's easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and oh my is it ever delicious. The perfect make-ahead meal. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #soup

    Vegan split pea soup is the perfect make-ahead meal. It get's even better tasting the longer it hangs around, and the tofu bites get even chewier the longer they sit around. I like to serve this as a main with a slice of garlic bread.

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    4.93 from 13 votes

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham

    Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoky Tofu Ham! bowl scrumptious! There is a reason this classic soup recipe is a staple for many: it's easy to make, it uses inexpensive ingredients, and oh my is it ever delicious. The perfect make-ahead meal.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 6 - 8
    Calories: 380kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the tofu ham:

    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if preffered)
    • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 block (12oz) extra-firm tofu, chopped into small cubes

    For the vegan split pea soup:

    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter (sub oil of choice if preferred)
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 2 ribs celery, chopped
    • 1 yellow onion, chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
    • 8 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 cups (1 pound) dried green split peas, rinsed
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
    • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 handful parsley, roughtly chopped (optional for garnish)
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    To make the tofu ham:

    • OVEN: Preheat your oven to 325F (170C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
      AIR FRYER: Preheat your air fryer to 305F (160C).
    • Mix the soy sauce, liquid smoke, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the tofu and toss well to coat.
      OVEN: Spread the tofu on the baking sheet and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, stopping to stir a few times, until the tofu is golden brown and chewy. The tofu will get chewier as it sits out.
      AIR FRYER: spread the tofu in the air fryer and fry for 20 - 28 minutes, stopping to shake a few times, until the tofu is golden brown and chewy. The tofu will get chewier as it sits out.

    To make the split pea soup:

    • In the meantime, melt the vegan butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.
    • Add the vegetable broth, split peas, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 -45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are cooked through and the soup has reached your desired thickness and mushiness. If your soup is too thin, simply cook it longer until it reaches desired thickness. If your soup gets too thick, add a splash more vegetable broth or water to thin it out. Serve the soup hot with a handful of prepared tofu ham on top, and an optional sprinkle of fresh parsley.

    Notes

    Oil-free: To make split pea soup oil-free, simply omit the vegan butter and instead do a water or broth sauté.
    Make-ahead: allow prepared split pea soup and tofu to cool before storing separately in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1854mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4472IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 5mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken


    « PREORDER BONUS BUNDLE - NO LONGER AVAILABLE!
    The Best Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jan says

      February 22, 2022 at 9:33 pm

      4 stars
      Great tasting but I had to cook it much longer for the peas to soften. Probably 30 min more and some still had a bit of crunch.
      I did put in blender in batches.
      Next time I will do in instant pot.

      Reply
    2. Eric says

      December 04, 2021 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      Let me tell you, I did this soup today for the 1st time, for Me , my Wife and Mother-in Law and we all loved it. I made a slight change to it and it came out so Greatttt. I added organic mushrooms, organic corn on the cob, smoke paprika, everglades seasoning , omitted the bay leaves, thyme and parsley only because I forgot. So Delicious and Comfortable. Thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
    3. Shannon says

      May 14, 2021 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      I made this a while ago and it was delicious!! I am making it again today!The tofu ham was so good that this time I am making a double batch. I ate about half of it before I even ate any soup lol!!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 21, 2021 at 8:43 am

        Haha! I love that 🙂

        Reply
        • Shannon says

          November 24, 2021 at 5:17 pm

          5 stars
          Hey Sam I want to make the tofu ham tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner for myself. Instead of cutting it into cubes could I just slice it?? I love this version of vegan ham!!!!

        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 06, 2021 at 3:15 pm

          Yes, it might not get as chewy though. Let us know how it goes 🙂

    4. Tracey says

      March 03, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Sam:

      Do you think tempeh could be used instead of tofu?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 04, 2021 at 11:44 am

        It would result in a different taste and texture, but go for it!

        Reply
    5. Tamar says

      February 26, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      My husband made this for our Friday night extended family dinner, and it came out perfect. I didn't even realise that you have a counter that adjusts quantities according to the number of portions you want. Just for that feature he fell in love with you! Thanks Sam!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 04, 2021 at 11:38 am

        Haha! Amazing. Thank you so much, Tamar. Glad you enjoyed 🙂

        Reply
    6. Molly says

      February 25, 2021 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and inexpensive to make!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:54 am

        So happy you enjoyed it, Molly!

        Reply
    7. b says

      February 24, 2021 at 6:59 am

      5 stars
      this was delicious. used an immersion blender to smooth it out and made bread from the, flour water salt yeast, book. yum. thank you

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:17 am

        So happy you enjoyed it, b!

        Reply
    8. Angela says

      February 23, 2021 at 3:43 am

      5 stars
      I’ve just made this without the tofu. It’s absolutely delicious I added 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke and one heaped tablespoon of white miso to try to get the flavours that were used with the tofu into the soup. I think this recipe is a keeper & it’s very easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.

      Thanks again Sam for another successful recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:16 am

        Wonderful! SO happy you enjoyed it, Angela 🙂

        Reply
    9. K C says

      February 22, 2021 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! I simmered about 15 minutes longer, and used an immersion blender for about 1/2 the soup in the end. Thanks for the recipe, Sam. 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:14 am

        You're most welcome KC 🙂

        Reply
    10. Suzy says

      February 22, 2021 at 8:53 am

      Hi Sam! I'm hoping to make this tonight and was just laying some things out (mise en place!) - and I noticed that my bag of split peas is 1 pound. But it has 13, 1/4 cup servings or 12 1/4 cup of peas. Do I use the 2 cups you listed, or the whole, one-pound bag? Thanks! Can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:13 am

        Hi Suzy, I would measure with cups to be sure. When I measured, 2 cups of split peas was 1 pound. Enjoy!

        Reply
        • Suzy says

          February 26, 2021 at 9:28 am

          5 stars
          Too late! I used the whole bag, (2 cups wasn't close to being a pound) added a bit more veggie stock and it was great! Even better the next day! Will definitely be making this again!

        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 26, 2021 at 9:55 am

          Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed 🙂

    11. in2insight says

      February 21, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      The soup, as promised, was super easy to make and very good. The star however is the tofu cubes. Simple yet delish! The non veg said they "tasted like the real deal".
      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:11 am

        Amazing! So happy you loved it 🙂

        Reply
    12. Adrienne Harding Jacques says

      February 21, 2021 at 10:55 am

      Hiya Sam,
      What is your favourite "go-to" broth for soups?

      Thank you ☺️

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:11 am

        I use PC Organic or I also like to make my own homemade vegetable broth powder which is a recipe in my new cookbook! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Donna Williams says

      February 19, 2021 at 3:37 pm

      I absolutely LOVE split pea soup. I always add dehydrated vegan "ham" for the flavoring. One thing I've noticed since going vegan 5 months ago is that the sodium content in most recipes is so extremely high. I take b/p medicine so I can't always substitute salt in the recipes. 🙁

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 26, 2021 at 9:06 am

        Hi Donna, you can reduce the sodium by buy a low sodium vegetable broth, or making your own without salt, using low sodium soy sauce, and omitting the salt in the soup. Hope that helps! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    14. JP says

      February 17, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      Hi, Can you sub smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke? If so, how much would you recommend? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:28 am

        Yes, I would sub 2 teaspoons smoked paprika. ENjoy!

        Reply
    15. Sonya says

      February 17, 2021 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love split pea soup! I never thought of adding tofu to it I usually make mine nice and thick with carrots and a bit of onion and garlic to it. I'm gonna give this one a go I have basically all ingredients. Thank you

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:27 am

        Wonderful! I hope you love it, Sonya!

        Reply
    16. Haleigh says

      February 17, 2021 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Sam! I haven’t made this yet but I have a bunch of split peas in my pantry. Do you think the flavor will be similar with yellow peas instead of green?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:27 am

        Hi Haleigh! Yellow split peas tend to have a more earthy flavour, while green split peas are sweeter. Both will taste great! If you like, you can always add a small amount of agave or sugar to your soup to sweeten it ever so slightly if you find it needs a bit of sweetness 🙂

        Reply
    17. Heather says

      February 17, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      Every time I've made split pea soup, the peas take FOREVER to get soft. I usually have to cook it for 3 hours before they are remotely soft. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:25 am

        Hmm I'm not sure. If your split peas are very old they might take a very long time to cook. For me they just took 30 minutes with freshly bought green split peas 🙂

        Reply
      • Emily says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:37 am

        Split peas that have been sitting around in the pantry or on the grocery store shelf for a while will take longer to cook. You might have a faster experience with a new bag of split peas.

        The other thing is I personally think a lot of recipes underestimate the time split peas take to get really soft and creamy. My go to non-vegan recipe for "swamp soup" (what my kids call spit pea) calls for bringing the peas to a boil, then killing the heat and leaving them covered for an hour, then bringing back to a boil, adding the other ingredients and a ham bone, and then simmering for ANOTHER hour and a half. You'd think all that time was mostly for the ham flavor but in my experience the peas don't get to that smooth mush until at least an hour and 15 in. Or maybe some people like their peas a little more toothsome?

        Reply
        • Jet says

          February 18, 2021 at 4:00 pm

          5 stars
          Why go to a vegan site and skite about dead-animal soup?

    18. Claire says

      February 17, 2021 at 11:16 am

      Is the taste ok without the ham tofu?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:19 am

        Yes! It will still be delicious. If you want a slightly smoky flavour to the soup add a dash of liquid smoke to the soup 🙂

        Reply
        • Claire says

          February 18, 2021 at 11:11 am

          Thank you - I am definitely going to give this a try. Love your recipes!!!

    19. Adrienne says

      February 17, 2021 at 11:11 am

      I usually don't submit a comment before I've tried the recipe, but the look of this reminds me so much about the delicious split-pea w/ham soup my mother made when I was a kid. I made the same for my own family. I sure hope it tastes like my memories! I have all of the ingredients so it's time to make some soup! I'll check in again later. Thanks for all you do for us!

      I'm sorry but I had to giggle about your typo: "1 block (12oz) extra-firm tofu, chooped into small cubes".

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        February 18, 2021 at 8:18 am

        Wonderful, I hope you love it, Adrienne! And typo fixed, haha!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sam Turnbull

    Hi Friends!

    I'm Sam. Bestselling cookbook author and full-time vegan recipe creator! I LOVE vegan food, but it didn't start that way. As someone who comes from a family of hunters, butchers, and chefs I'm the last person I thought would go vegan. Here's My Story →

    Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    Vegan Recipes for Beginners

    Vegan Recipes for Beginners

    • Baked Tofu Bites
    • Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
    • Homemade Vegan Mac and Cheese Powder
    • Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich
    • Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles
    • Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Tofu Scramble Mix
    • Vegan Banana Nut Muffins
    Most Popular

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Easy Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
    • Banana Peel Bacon
    • Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella
    • Vegan Seitan Steak
    • Vegan Salmon
    • Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
    • Best Vegan Chili Ever!
    • Vegan Seitan Tenders
    • Sweet Korean Lentils
    • Tofu Bolognese

    Footer

    Stay Connected

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright

    I love when you share! All of the images and text on this site is the property of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Feel free to share photos and quotes with a link back to my original post. Do not share entire recipes, large bodies of text, or edit my photos in anyway without first obtaining permission from me. Social media shares are always welcome. Thank you!

    Affiliate Link Disclosure

    On this site, I sometimes use affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken would receive a small cut, at no cost to you.

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    COPYRIGHT

    I love when you share! All of the images and text on this site is the property of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Feel free to share photos and quotes with a link back to my original post. Do not share entire recipes, large bodies of text, or edit my photos in anyway without first obtaining permission from me. Social media shares are always welcome. Thank you!


    AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE

    On this site, I sometimes use affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken would receive a small cut, at no cost to you.

    Privacy Policy Contact About

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 - IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE CHICKEN