This soup is packed with surprisingly savoury flavours and aromas reminiscent of an old-fashioned pea and ham soup that is served in many wee cozy cafes across Scotland and Britain, as well as being a firm family favourite.
Add the onions and garlic to the slow cooker along with the green split peas, lentils, bay leaf, diced carrots, sugar, salt and black pepper.
75 gram red split lentils, 140 gram carrots, 1 large bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Pour in the hot vegetable stock, give it all a good stir, and set the heat to the high setting.
1.5 litres vegetable stock
Pop the lid on the cooker and leave for 4½-5 hours.
Give the soup a good stir to mix through the cooked thick peas and lentils.Add extra salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf.[depending on your slow cooker and dried split peas your soup may be cooked just before the 4 ½ hour mark so if possible check and see. Although the soup will be fine until the 5 hour mark]
Serve:
Serve each bowl with a few chunks of cooked and sliced vegan bacon. Although this is optional as the soup is incredibly savoury on its own.
4 strips vegan bacon
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients can vary.
Store leftover soup for 3 days within the refrigerator.
Or freeze for 3-4 months.
Leftover pea and 'ham' soup will continue to thicken as it sits, but will loosen up as it is reheated. But if preferred and to stretch the leftover soup into one or more portions stir through a little plant milk before reheating.
Green split peas can be replaced with yellow split peas.
For a gluten-free pea soup use a gluten-free veggie stock [broth].