Split Pea Soup
In our house true love = split pea soup…at least for one of us. I kid you not. So with Valentine’s on its way, it seems as good a time as ever to share someone’s favorite legume-filled bowl with all you lovely people. Read on and I’ll explain…
My husband adores split pea soup, particularly this vegetarian version. The rest of us? Not so much. When the temps start dropping, you can be sure he starts dropping little split pea soup hints and eventually, I break down and make him a pot. Last year with all the craziness, I didn’t get around to it and when he recently waxed poetic about the warm, comforting and nutritious benefits found in a bowl of his beloved soup, I decided to take pity on the man and make the soup. However, when I looked for the recipe on this site, I realized that I’d never ever shared it.
Thus, today—Split Pea Soup in all its hearty, green splendor.
Oh, the things we do for love!
Split Pea Soup
Makes 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 ½-2 hours
Ingredients
16 ounce bag dried split peas
¼ cup canola oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, mined
2 quarts water or chicken broth
5-6 carrots, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
The Recipe
1. Rinse the peas in a colander with cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.
2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until they become softened and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Pour in the water or chicken broth, carrots and rinsed peas and stir. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and let cook for 1 ½ -2 hours, until peas are very tender and soup is thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If soup seems too thick, you can thin it out with water. Ladle into bowls and serve.
3. Soup keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe loosely adapted from Mama Leah’s Jewish Kitchen by Leah Loeb Fischer. Over the years, I’ve strayed more and more from the original recipe, but this is where it all started.
