Course | Dinner / Lunch Dish Type | Soup

Hearty One-Pot Vegan Lentil, Split Pea & Chickpea Soup

Rachelle Johnson

Prep 20

Cook 55

Total 1 15

A warming one-pot vegan soup with red lentils, yellow split peas, chickpeas, sweet potato, carrots, kale and aromatic spices, finished with coconut aminos and bright acidity.

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Hearty vegan red lentil and yellow split pea soup with sweet potato, carrots, kale and peas.

Red lentils, yellow split peas and chickpeas give this soup its hearty center. Sweet potato and carrots bring gentle sweetness, kale and peas add color, and ginger, turmeric and warm spices give the broth depth.

A Generous Pot for a Comforting Dinner

This is a pot to build gradually: soften the vegetables, wake up the spices, then let the legumes simmer until tender. The finish stays flexible, with greens, a little acidity and optional creamy coconut milk added near the end. It makes six large meal-size bowls, so there is room to feed a table or save portions for another day.

Build the Flavor in the Pot

Begin with the olive oil, onion, carrots and celery, cooking until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and spices after that first stage so their aroma opens up around the softened vegetables.

A large pot gives you room to stir the legumes and vegetables without crowding. The soup is meant to be substantial, with enough broth to let the lentils and split peas cook through.

Let the Legumes Tell You When It Is Ready

The red lentils help give the broth body as they soften. Yellow split peas and sweet potato need to be tender before the finishing ingredients go in. Stir occasionally during the simmer and check the texture rather than relying only on a minute count.

Chickpeas belong in the base recipe. Add them with the lentils, split peas, sweet potato and broth, then let everything settle into a gentle simmer.

Finish with Greens and Brightness

Kale, frozen peas and coconut aminos go in near the end. Coconut milk is an optional addition for a creamier finish. Give the greens time to become tender and the soup time to heat through.

Add the apple cider vinegar after taking the pot off the heat. That final acidity helps lift the warm spices. If the soup has thickened more than you prefer, loosen it with a splash of broth or water.

Bring It to the Table

Toasted pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds add a little texture on top. Serve with gluten-free sourdough or flatbread if you like, or finish each bowl with a small drizzle of chili or garlic oil.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Reheat to 165°F throughout, adding a splash of liquid if needed. The soup makes a generous meal-size bowl, with the exact finished volume depending on how much it reduces.

Make the Pot Your Own

The red lentils soften into the broth and help thicken it; the chickpeas give you more distinct bites. The exact shape of the carrot coins matters less than checking that the split peas and sweet potato are tender. If they need longer, keep the simmer gentle and add liquid as needed. Bringing the acid in at the finish also lets you judge its brightness against the fully cooked soup.

Use dried turmeric when fresh is hard to find, following the amount in the recipe notes; it brings a more concentrated, earthy spice note. Green lentils hold their shape more than red, so that option makes a less creamy pot and may need a different cooking time. Butternut squash can replace sweet potato, and spinach or Swiss chard can replace kale for a softer leafy finish. Cooked white beans are a shortcut in place of the split peas: they remove that ingredient’s dry-legume cooking requirement, but the red lentils and vegetables must still become tender.

A Substantial Bowl

The recipe-card estimate per large bowl is 622 calories, 27 g protein, 81 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat, 30 g fiber and 1,441 mg sodium. Lentils, split peas and chickpeas contribute the bowl’s protein and fiber. Broth, coconut aminos and other ingredient choices affect the totals, so use the card as an estimate for the listed recipe rather than a promise for every variation.

For a simple finishing contrast, keep the toasted seeds crisp until serving and add any chili or garlic oil to individual bowls. That gives the surface a little texture and aroma without stirring everything into the pot. Serve red lentil wraps alongside if you would like a soft, foldable accompaniment. The soup can be made ahead using the storage and reheating guidance above; add a little liquid when reheating if the legumes have thickened the broth.