For some reason, I’ve been craving potato soup ALL winter long. And the strange thing is, I don’t think I’ve ever had potato soup before. Is it normal to crave things you’ve never tried? Well, it happens to me quite often. Case in point: vegan sushi. I’ve never had it before, but every time I see it my craving grows and grows. This weekend I decided another day couldn’t go by without this potato soup. I had some Yukon gold potatoes sitting on the counter just waiting to be made into a hearty bowl of goodness.
While the thought of a basic potato soup seemed satisfying enough, I couldn’t resist putting my own twist on things. To amp up the protein, green split peas were thrown in and also provided a good lick of fibre and a satisfying crunch. This created a potato soup with over 14 grams of protein and 12 grams of fibre per serving – not too shabby for a soup that’s normally a bowl of carbs. My biggest fear was the soup turning out bland so I cranked out some of my favourite spices inspired by one of my most-loved Cajun spice blends – smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, chili powder, yellow mustard seeds, and a hint of cayenne pepper. The flavours blended so well with the potato and it was anything but bland (yet still approved by the cautious spice fan in the house).
I like a nice texture in my soup, so I only pureed about 3 cups in a blender and left the rest intact. This results in a thick, creamy broth while still leaving the vegetables and split peas for a satisfying crunchy texture. If you prefer a smooth soup, feel free to puree the entire lot. It’s a rather homely and unassuming soup, but we enjoyed it so much I made two batches this weekend and I already plan on making more this week. Why is it the homely looking foods always taste so good?
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Not Your Average Potato Soup
Yield
3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 2 tsp coconut oil (or other oil)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds (optional, but recommended)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cups diced Yukon Gold potato (about 1.4 pounds)
- 1 cup uncooked green split peas, rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika, or to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/8-1/4 cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- fine grain sea salt and black pepper, to to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Add oil to a large pot and sauté the garlic and mustard seeds for a few minutes over medium-high heat, until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Be careful not to burn them. Add in the onion and sauté for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the celery, potato, split peas, broth, and spices. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer on low-medium heat uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until the split peas are cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
- With a ladle, carefully transfer about 3 cups of the soup into a blender (leave some of the pouring hole ajar so stream can escape). Starting at a low speed, puree the soup until smooth and pour it back into the pot and stir. (Note: You can also use an immersion blender if desired.) Cook for 5 minutes and then serve immediately with fresh parsley and a pinch of smoked paprika, if desired.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
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This looks delish….I love all things potatoes. I’m in Colorado where it is very old right now and this soup is right on time. My goal is to eat vegan for one month….easing into the perm lifestyle change and this blog makes the transition so much easier. Thank you.
I never thought I would get so excited about potato soup but, this recipe does it for me! I made it over the weekend so that I could have the leftover for lunches during the week. I so wish I had doubled the recipe. It reheats well, BTW. I made it exact to your recipe with the exception of adding a leek with the onion (I had one on hand) As well as adding 2 chopped carrots ( loved the added color) thanks for a great recipe and a fantastic site!!
Do you think I could replace the split peas with green lentils? That’s what I have at home :)
I made this for dinner tonight – we were way overdue for something comforting and delicious! This really hit the spot. Everyone loved it – I just wish I’d doubled the recipe!
I have made this and added it to my favourite soup recipes! And I make a lot of soups. It is so hearty and full of flavour. If you haven’t yet tried it I highly recommend giving it a go! Thanks so much for another great recipe :)
I made this soup last night for my fiancee and I (I know it’s the middle of summer but it was a cooler night) and it is so delicious! Very fillingand satisfying. I didn’t have mustard seeds though, so I added ground mustard to it. I bet with the seeds it’d be even better. This recipe is definitely a keeper :)
oh my lordy this soup is so bloody good! I have licked my bowl, the blender and the saucepan. Thank you so much for the recipe. What would I do this Winter without all your amazing soup recipes!
This soup is delicious! Perfect for recovering from a bad winter cold. My soup turned out more green than yellow. Just too many peas? What did I do wrong?
I am a little confused. First, we sauté the garlic and mustard seeds. Then we add the onion. I got that part. But step number two… 2. Add the celery, potato, split peas, broth, and spices. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer on low-medium heat uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until the split peas are cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
Do we add the celery potato split peas broth and spices to the pan with the ingredients that are being sautéed? And what are we bringing to a boil? Or are we adding them all into a separate pan and bringing them to a boil from there?
Also, where do we get uncooked split peas?
Love potatoes in every way imaginable but as you, have never cooked a potato soup. I always combine potatoes with some various vegetables. I don’t know why either…
Yours looks half soup half stew and will be soon in my kitchen per sure !
I really want to make this for a church potluck on Sunday, (mostly so I’ll have something vegan) but I don’t know the best way to keep it warm? I can make it the morning of but looking for advice for transferring and serving!
Thanks a bunch!
I am absolutely obsessed with this soup! I have made it three times now and even my meat eating boyfriend cannot get enough of it. Thanks so much for the recipe!
BEST EVER! THIS WAS WONDERFUL AND EASY TO MAKE!
This soup is DELICIOUS! Just splendid. I am making it for the second time this week! xx
Absolutely delicious! Super easy to make, I only had Idaho potatoes, and ive made it once with white potatoes and both were great! I’ve also experimented with carrots and soysauce, which i thought were tasty additions to an already amazing recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Kayla! Thanks for the great comment.
Can you substitute sweet potatoes in the recipe?
Hi there! I haven’t tried it myself, but I believe a couple people have swapped in sweet potatoes and really enjoyed the results. If you try it out, please let us know how it goes!
Do you think that this would be okay to prep ahead and freeze?
Hey Meghan, Hmm I’m not sure as I never got around to testing that. Soup tends to freeze great, but potato tends to freeze poorly, so I’m really not sure on this one.
thank you so much, Angela, for your recipes. I am always on diet but I have no fantasy in what to cook :))