Yellow Split Pea Soup
My Yellow Split Pea Soup is flavored with Italian sausage and green pepper, and this favorite soup is surprisingly low in net carbs! And when I updated the photos, my taste testers went crazy over this soup!
PIN Yellow Split Pea Soup to try it later!
I’ve always been a fan of split peas, and this Yellow Split Pea Soup is a delightful twist on the kind of soups that are normally made with this inexpensive and tasty legume. Besides the yellow split peas, this soup has sweet Italian sausage, onion, garlic, celery, green bell pepper, and chicken broth, and it’s perfectly seasoned with Italian Herb Seasoning and ground fennel. And you can add a pinch of two of hot pepper flakes if you like.
This soup simmers on the stove on low for a few hours, making your house smell great while it cooks. It’s a simple combination of ingredients and also easy to make, but it was delicious, warm, and comforting on a cold day recently.
I’m urging you to make this delicious soup that has been one of my favorites for years, and if you do please be sure to use the ground fennel; that fragrant spice is an addition really takes the soup to a new level.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- onion
- celery
- green bell pepper
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link)
- ground fennel (affiliate link)
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- sweet Italian sausage
- yellow split peas (affiliate link)
- canned chicken broth (affiliate link) or homemade chicken stock
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
What’s the difference between yellow and green split peas?
Yellow and green split peas have a similar nutritional info and the cooking time is similar, but yellow peas have a more earthy flavor, while green peas are sweeter.
Do Yellow Split Peas need to be soaked?
Split peas are the dried seeds of peas that are peeled and then split, increasing the surface area. As a result, split peas donโt need to be soaked and cook more quickly than whole peas. (See About Split Peas for more information.)
What Italian Sausage did we use?
Lately I’m having a hard time finding my favorite turkey Italian sausage, so we used Sweet Pork Italian Sausage for this recipe. You can also use Hot Italian Sausage if you’d like more spicy flavor in the soup.
How many carbs are in the Yellow Split Pea Soup?
This tasty soup has a lot of onion, celery, green bell pepper, and sausage, so the soup only has about 11 net carbs per serving!
Want a lower-carb version of Yellow Split Pea Soup?
This soup is relatively low in net carbs (especially for a soup with legumes), but if you want a version with even fewer carbs just use a bit less split peas and a bit more sausage and/or green pepper.
How to Make Yellow Split Pea Soup:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- In the photo above you can see the yellow split peas (affiliate link) I used; I love the gold color!
- Cut up onion, celery, and green bell pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy soup pot; then cook onion, celery, and green pepper over medium heat about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian herb seasoning, and ground fennel, and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- If you’d like the soup to be a bit more spicy, add about 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes with the other spices.
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan, squeeze the sausage out of the casings and brown well, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks.
- I’m giving you this photo of the oil left from the pork sausage to show you why we cooked it in a separate pan, but cook it in the soup pot if you prefer.
- Add browned sausage to the soup pot with yellow split peas and chicken stock.
- Let soup simmer at low heat uncovered. After about 45 minutes I tasted the soup to see if I wanted more red pepper (no!) and added 2 cups of water.
- Continue to cook, adding water as needed, until the split peas are very well done and starting to break down into the soup. (We added more water several times.)
- Total cooking time will be about 2 hours, or slightly longer depending on how old the yellow split peas are and how soft you want them.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
More Soup with Split Peas:
If you’re a big fan of Split Pea Soup, I also have a version of split pea soup made in the Instant Pot and one made in the Slow Cooker.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe for Yellow Split Pea Soup has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Yellow Split Pea Soup
My love affair with split peas continues with this slightly-spicy Yellow Split Pea Soup with Italian Sausage!
Ingredients
- 1 T + 1 T olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 T minced garlic (or less if youโre not that into garlic)
- 1 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning (see notes)
- 1 tsp. ground fennel seed
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
- 19.5 oz. package sweet Italian sausage (see notes)
- 2 cups yellow split peas
- 8 cups chicken broth (plus more water as needed during cooking)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut up onion, celery, and green bell pepper into pieces about 1/2 inch.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy soup pot; then cook onion, celery, and green pepper over medium heat about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian herb seasoning, and ground fennel, and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- If you'd like the soup to be a bit more spicy, add about 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes with the other spices.
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat the other tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan, squeeze the sausage out of the casings and brown well, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. (Don't rush this step; browning creates flavor.)
- We cooked the sausage in a separate pan so we didn't have so much fat in the finished soup, but you can push the vegetables over and brown the sausage in the soup pot if you prefer.
- Add browned sausage to the soup pot with yellow split peas and chicken stock.
- Let soup simmer at very low heat uncovered. After 45 minutes I tasted the soup to see if I wanted more red pepper (no!) and added 2 cups of water.
- Continue to cook, adding water as needed, until the split peas are very well done and starting to break down into the soup.
- Total cooking time will be about 2 hours, or slightly longer depending on how old the yellow split peas are and how soft you want them.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link) is a mix of dried oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary if you don't have the blend.
I'm a fan of turkey Italian Sausage for soup, but lately I can't find it so I used pork sausage and cooked it in a separate pan for less oil in the soup.
Use homemade chicken stock if you have some, but the Kirkland Chicken broth we used or chicken broth from a can or a carton is fine for this recipe.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 205Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 26mgSodium 1450mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 5gSugar 4gProtein 17g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Yellow Split Pea Soup has a lot of sausage, green bell pepper, celery, and chicken broth and if you check the nutritional information you’ll probably be surprised how low the net carbs are. And split peas are a low-glycemic ingredient and all ingredients in this soup are approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Yellow Split Pea Soup was first posted in 2011, with photos that were pretty bad. It was updated with greatly improved photos and more information in 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2024.
41 Comments on “Yellow Split Pea Soup”
I had been given a small bag of yellow split peas and had no idea what to do with them. I found this recipe in an internet search and made it exactly as written. It’s easy and delicious!!
Very fun, so glad you enjoyed it!
Would this work with a broth or stock other than chicken? Vegetable?
I haven’t made it with any other type of broth, but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work.
This looks and sounds super tasty. I’ll put it on the menu for next week. Do you think it could be done in the Instant Pot? I was thinking I could saute the veggies in there, cook the sausage separately, then pressure cook it with slightly less liquid instead of the long simmer. Might make it a little more weeknight friendly.
Yes, I do think you could adapt it to the Instant Pot. If you search on my site for “Instant Pot Split Pea Soup” that recipe might help. (I can’t link it here.) Hope you enjoy; we loved this soup!
This sounds great. ย Are yellow split peas easy to find? ย I think you maybe meant to link to the ones you used?
I ended up buying them on Amazon, and did link to that under “What ingredients do you need.” I bought the Sadaf brand that’s included there. If you have a store like Whole Foods you can probably find them there.
I’m very happy to see this because I am on a low Oxalate diet for kidney stone support and finding recipes that are low is tough. Yellow splits are on the list! And the addition of Italian sausage will be great.
Have you ever tackled making your own turkey italian sausage? I would sure like to have that recipe in my staples.
So glad it is useful for you. I don’t think I’d ever try making Italian Sausage, but I bet Google can help you find a recipe for that!
I just had this for lunch as it was so full of flavor! I am definitely making it. I am so glad it is gluten free!
Thanks Sandi, so glad you enjoyed the soup!
wonderful recipe!
It is very tasty.. Never made italian style pea soup before.. i will now!
The only changes I made was to use split green peas, green beans instead of celery (I’m sick of celery), fresh rosemary, basil and rat tail red peppers instead of the dried herbs. And I simmered the soup with the lid on for an hour+ Thanks Katylyn!
Glad you liked it!
Made this for dinner today and it tasted wonderful.To make it look more pretty, I used red bell pepper and added some spinach leaves for the last 20 minutes cooking time.Topped with greek yoghurt and chopped basil it was really a beauty and tasty.
Thanks from Germany
Doris
Hi Doris, so glad you enjoyed it. Love hearing how you prettied it up! And fun to hear from someone in Germany. (That's on my list of places to visit!)
Campbell, so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Just made this for dinner tonight – it was delicious! I was skeptical at first, as I'm very picky about soup, but this recipe was awesome! I'll definitely be making it again!
This soup would certainly hit the spot on these cold winter days!
Carrie, you're welcome. Glad you liked it.
I didn't have turkey sausage on hand so I used sweet italian that i had. this soup is so good. it it made enough that i did freeze some for one of those nights when i have to run the kids here there and everywhere. thanks for sharing!
Paz, stay warm. I heard about the storm in NYC. I do recommend the soup when you get a chance to try it.
This recipe sounds perfect, especially for a cold, snowy day, like the one we're expecting tomorrow. I wish I could make it while I'm holed up at home but don't have all the ingredients. Later, I suppose. I've got to go out sooner or later. ๐
John, so glad to hear you both enjoyed the soup!
Angela, thanks for the nice words about the blog and this soup.
Hi Kalyn,
Thanks again for all the incredible recipes and also for all you work on your blog. I recommend it to everyone I know!!
In your post you mentioned this soup not being so photogenic, but for anyone who loves split-pea soup, it looks super-yummy! However, here's a thought for if you ever update the pic; a dollop of sour cream (low fat of course;) and a sprig of parsley or other fresh herb might give the pic a bit more intrest.
You're truely a gem! Thanks again for all the wonderful meals that my family always enjoy.
My wife and I just made this recipe, and it was so darn delicious! We'll definitely be making this on a regular basis now.
Thank you so much for sharing it [the photos are excellent too].
Kind Regards,
John McConnell
I have to get me some of those yellow split peas. I am sure I will become addicted!
Tim, so glad you liked it. Good to know it is still tasty with the green split peas too, thanks for letting us know that.
Mimi, you are funny. My only question is, which one of us will Meryl be playing?
You know, Kalyn, I think this photo is very appealing. It appeals to the side of me that needs comfort food today. There's something home-y and rustic about it that I just love, especially on a winter night. This is a soup to come home to!
I could just make a Kalyn recipe every day, rename my blog "Kalyn and Mimi" and hope that Meryl Streep will be available for the movie.
SBDP-1 still good.
I got up this morning saw this recipe and was thinking about it all day. Started cooking when I got home and this turned out to be the best soup I have ever made…it was so incredibly tasty!
My local store didn't have yellow split peas and I had to use green.
Thanks for a great recipe…it was perfect for a cold day.
Yes, you can use green split peas. The taste is very similar; the yellow ones are just prettier and maybe a tiny bit sweeter.
I could not find yellow split peas would green work for this recipe?
Hi Kalyn, I visit your site often, but rarely comment…..BUT…had to say how much I love it, and how delicious your recipes look. I'm on weight watchers and many of your South Beach recipes are VERY "point friendly". Thanks so much for sharing them!!!
Yum! Soup is my favorite warm-me-up food in the wintertime. This recipe sounds fabulous! Going to give a try this weekend.
I've been meaning to use up some split peas in my pantry for a while now – this is IDEAL. Yum!
Tracy, glad you are enjoying the links to other blogs. I have fun finding things I think my readers might like.
Joanne, I agree about the blogging community. So glad you like the soup.
Lydia, I loved that extra little touch of fennel in the soup. (I love fennel, such a great flavor!)
Anonymous, you could cook this in a slow cooker. I'd reduce the chicken stock to about 4 cups, then check part way through to see if you need to add some water. I can only guess on the timing, but I'd guess 3-4 hours on high and maybe 6-8 hours on low.
Barbara, thanks so much for taking time to tell me that. Comments like that really make my day!
Hi Kalyn,
I just want to say how much your website and hard work is appreciated by so many. I subscribe to your site via emails and I always look forward to your healthy recipes. Thank you so much for all you do!
Sincerely,
Barbara in Toronto
sounds good, could you cook this in a slow cooker?
I love the combination of split peas and sausage, especially as a substitute for (what I think is) the flavor of ham hocks that often is in split pea soup. Highlighting the fennel in the sausage with additional fennel in the soup is a great idea.
Some of the things that go on in this world are absolutely disgusting. I'm just so glad I've found one of the gems in it…this blogging community.
This soup sounds fantastic in every way! Love the fusion east meets west with the split peas and sausage!
Yum! I love pea soup and this looks wonderful. It's always such a comforting (and hearty) soup when it is really cold out. I like the links to the other split pea recipes too – thanks Kalyn!