Split Pea Soup

When times are tough, comfort foods often come to the rescue. One of my personal favorites is the humble split pea soup. This soup features ample protein, fiber and iron among other benefits. And at around $0.66 or less per serving it’s one of the most cost effective soups you can make. This version is naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

1 lb Green Split Peas (Dried)
½ medium onion, chopped
½ large carrot, chopped
2 T garlic powder
1 T of celery seed
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Method:
Soak split peas over night with more than enough water to cover them. Drain water. Add the peas to a slow cooker. Fill slow cooker with enough water to cover peas plus another inch. Turn slow cooker to high. Now saute onions (preferring vidalia) in a pan for about 10 minutes till translucent. Add onions into slow cooker. Throw in all of the other spices. Alternative: If non-vegetarian include a few ounces of ham chunks or Polish kielbasy such as kabonosy or mysliwska to give a pleasing smokiness.

Caramelized Onions

Suggested accompaniment non-veg, if skipping kielbasy: Ham and cheese sandwich
Suggested accompaniment veg: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

The soup will take about 6-8 hours on high. Consistency should be a medium thickness. Note that this is a soup that thickens tremendously on it’s own so additional blending isn’t necessary.

Alternative to Croutons/Saltines/Oyster Crackers if GF:

It’s nice to have some crunch alongside soup. If you’re GF or just not a fan of saltines, oyster crackers or croutons, Indian snacks are a great option. I recommend Haldiram’s Karodpati. These tepary bean and lentil flour based crunchies provide a lovely texture and peppery kick to the soup. Bhujia is also a great option. Plus they add a dash of color.

Split Pea Soup with Haldiram’s Karodpati Crunchies

What are your favorite split pea soup variations?