Yellow Split Pea Soup--Vegetarian/Vegan

smellyvegetarian's Note:

This is from a veg cookbook purchased on the checkout lane at the grocery store but I'm not sure which. It is a lovely soup, and it gets better over a day or so. The ingredient list appears lengthy, but it is largely due to the yummy combination of spices. The original recipe calls for a combination of any veggies as long as you reach 4 cups (or a 16 oz bag of frozen veggies). I list specific veggies here as they are the ones recommended in the recipe.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup yellow split peas (dry)
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup cauliflower
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup carrot
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. In a medium pan bring water and salt to a boil; add split peas and return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 45 minutes or until tender. Do not drain.
2. Meanwhile, steam vegetables until crisp tender.
3. In a small skillet, cook curry powder, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and red pepper in hot oil for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
4. In a food processor or blender combine the undrained split peas and the spice mixture. Process until combined. If too thick, add water or warm broth. Transfer back to the medium saucepan and stir in the steamed vegetables. Heat through and serve.
5. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH--I highly recommend just leaving the split peas in the pan, adding spices, and using an immersion blender! Much simpler, and fewer dishes to wash :).

Reviews

[magpie diner]

Very nice soup, healthy & simple to make. I took your advice and cut down on the number of pots. Instead of steaming the veg I just added them to the oil & spices, covered and let them cook that way before adding to the peas. I found there wasn't enough liquid to call it soup, so I probably added another 3 cups or so. I was out of cauliflower so I just used more broccoli, beans & carrot to get to 4 cups. It's a thick & warming soup, very tasty and my children thought it was great. I think next time I'd use some broth instead of water, and maybe amp up the curry powder a bit. Thanks for sharing! Made during ZWT7.

[breezermom]

This is a very healthy soup, and the Indian spices add lots of flavor. This turned out very thick, not a bad thing, just didn't seem as "soupy" as I thought it would be with all the liquid from the veggies. I subbed chicken broth for the water for more flavor. Thanks for sharing! Made for ZWT8.