Vegan Curried Vegetable Soup

This vegan soup gets its creamy body from split peas, not coconut milk or cashew cream. An hour of simmering breaks them down into a thick, protein-rich base that does all the work a dairy cream would do. Turmeric in the cooking water gives the peas a warm golden color and an earthy backbone.

Blooming the curry powder in hot oil for 30 seconds before the vegetables go in is a technique borrowed from Indian cooking. That brief toast in oil activates the spices and releases their oils, giving the soup a deeper, more fragrant curry flavor than just stirring dry powder into liquid.

Pureeing half the soup and stirring it back in is the texture trick. You get a thick, velvety base with chunks of carrot, celery, and tomato still intact. Served chilled with fresh cilantro, it works beautifully as a summer soup. It also freezes well, so make a double batch.

Kitchen Tips

• Use green or yellow split peas. Yellow give a milder, sweeter soup while green have a more earthy, robust flavor.
• Don’t skip draining the peas after the first simmer. The cooking liquid can be starchy and dull the curry flavors.
• Add more oil if needed when cooking the vegetables. Curry powder absorbs oil fast and can scorch if the pan is too dry.
• Chill completely before serving. Cold dulls flavors slightly, so taste and adjust salt after chilling.

Variations

• Serve hot instead of chilled during colder months with a squeeze of lemon.
• Add diced sweet potato along with the carrots for a heartier, sweeter soup.
• Stir in a can of coconut milk for a richer (still vegan) version.