appease your crowd with split pea soup

ahh, split peas.  those awful little green buttons which had me running the other way as a child the minute they were pulled from the pantry. the truth is that I don’t recall ever actually eating split pea soup when I was younger, though I know it was made in our house, so I’m pretty sure I dismissed them without ever giving them a chance. there are certain foods that I detested simply because of the name or color, not because I actually hated the taste, and split peas must be one of those foods.

but now I’m older and wiser, and it’s been many years since I’ve turned my nose in disgust to all foods green & healthy.  split pea soup is now one of my favorite winter foods – it’s hearty, packed with protein, and extremely easy to make.  this recipe can be tweaked a thousand different ways to give it a different flavor profile or to include whatever vegetables you have in your kitchen.  dried peas are wonderful for stabilizing blood sugar, plus they contain almost no fat and help to lower cholesterol.  they are packed with isoflavones, which are important phytonutrients (nutrients from plants) that are said to reduce the risk of cancer. 

this is the perfect soup for a rainy or lazy day, and it tastes even better the next day.  when reheating it you may want to add a bit of water as it gets very thick in the refrigerator. 

(a special shout out to Kambria Hooper, for providing the title to this entry)

Split Pea Soup

yields 4 servings

 

1 cup split peas

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced

1 medium onion, small dice

1 medium carrot, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

1 small potato, small dice

1 bay leaf

5 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt + additional salt to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin

pinch cayenne

juice from ½ lemon

chopped parsley to garnish

1. Measure out & wash split peas.  Soak covered in water for a half-hour to several hours. 
2. In a large stock pot, bring heat up to medium and add olive oil.  Add onions & sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for another 1 minute.  Add carrots, celery & ginger and stir infrequently, about 5 minutes until carrots soften.
3. Add potato, split peas & water and bring to a boil.  Stir in the salt, turmeric, cumin & cayenne, and bring heat down to a simmer.  Simmer partially covered for 1 hour or until peas are soft.  Add more salt to taste, if necessary.
4. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!  This is delicious with fresh bread & sausage.