Hearty Split Pea Soup

This soup is a childhood throw-back. Split pea soup has a homey flavor that is traditionally paired with ham....I just add some smoked paprika and liquid smoke to the broth to get the smoky flavor without any meat added. The result is a rustic and delicious soup.

Hearty Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of tarragon
pinch of cayenne pepper

4 cups water
1 cup split peas

4 tsp vegetable boullion
2 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, and let it heat through and start to soften for a few minutes before adding the garlic. Once the garlic is added, stir for a minute and then add the carrot, celery, and potato. Next are the spices so add the parsley, basil, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, tarragon, and cayenne. Stir to bloom the spices and coat the vegetables.

Add the water and the split peas and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally until the split peas are cooked through (add more water if needed). This takes between 45 minutes and an hour. Once they are cooked through add the vegetable bouillon, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper if needed (this will depend on how salty your vegetable bouillon is). I like to thicken the soup by using an immersion blender until it is only partially blended. This gives you a thick soup.

Serve warm with crackers or bread and a salad for a satisfying meal.

For 4 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 376 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 28

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.1g 5%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 732mg 31%

Potassium 779mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 42.3g 14%

Dietary Fiber 14.7g 59%

Sugars 5.8g

Protein 13.5g

Vitamin A 65% • Vitamin C 21% Calcium 6% • Iron 17%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet