The impact of phosphorous (P)-doping on the electrochemical performance and surface chemistry of soft carbon is investigated by means of galvanostatic cycling and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). P-doping plays an important role in storing more Li ions and discernibly improves reversible capacity. However, the discharge capacity retention of P-doped soft carbon electrodes deteriorated at $60^{circ}C$ compared to non-doped soft carbon. This poor capacity retention could be improved by vinylene carbonate (VC) participating in forming a protective interfacial chemistry on soft carbon. In addition, the effect of P-doping on exothermic thermal reactions of lithiated soft carbon with electrolyte solution is discussed on the basis of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results.