Winter is my least favorite season. Soup is one of my favorite types of food. Soup makes winter worthwhile. That and the fact that freezing temps helps control the bugs – I live in Georgia, y’all. We have gnats to drive you crazy, mosquitoes to suck you dry, and flying cockroaches that will scare the pants off of you. Winter helps kill all of those too. Hallelujah.
Recently, I saw a post by another RDN about lentil soup and I was all like, oooh that sounds delicious. I was all set for lentil soup for supper, but when I went to the cupboard there were no lentils! Totally unlike me. But I had split peas, so I decided to improvise and go in another direction. Split peas are full of fiber and protein (16g/each per cup of cooked split peas), and are also a great source of potassium and magnesium. They are filling, tasty and cheap! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Curried Coconut Split Pea Soup
This Curried Coconut Split Pea Soup doesn’t look as good as it tastes! Trust me.
Serves 8
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, scraped and chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/2-3 tsp curry powder (I used hot Madras Curry powder) depending on your taste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- dash (or more) of ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry split peas
- 4 cups low-sodium canned or homemade stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 can coconut milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the spices (curry through cayenne) and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the split peas, stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer the peas for about 40-50 minutes. Watch the pot, stir periodically and add more water if the peas soak up too much of the liquid. When the peas are cooked and just about falling apart, add the coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve with whole grain crackers or fresh whole wheat bread and salad, or with panini sandwiches for a hearty meal.
