I love making big batches of homemade soup in the fall, with split pea soup being one of my all time favorites. Split pea soup is super satisfying with 1 cup of cooked split peas containing 16.5g of protein and 16.5g of fiber. WOW! It only cost $1.44 to buy 1-pound of dried split peas, plus you can find these legumes at pretty much every store out there. You will typically find dried split peas in the aisle that contains canned beans.
Once you have the split peas, the rest of the ingredients for the soup are items you typically already have laying around in the kitchen. You’ll need carrots, celery, onions and garlic and then dried or fresh thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Super simple and accessible! Sautee the vegetables and seasonings in olive oil until soft for about 10-minutes.
In this recipe, I used a carton (4 cups) of low-sodium, organic vegetable broth and poured it over the sauteed veggies. However, if you do not have the broth already, feel free to use water and then be sure to season appropriately with extra salt and pepper.
Allow the soup to simmer while covered on low heat for about 90-minutes to allow the split peas to become soft and mushy. Just before serving, top the soup with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro for extra color and flavor. Enjoy a bowl for lunch to feel satisfied and energized for the rest of the day ahead!
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced potato
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 carton (4 cups) of low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 1/4 cup dry split peas
- In a large stock pot, add the oil to medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5-minutes.
- Add the carrots, potato and celery and saute for 10-minutes or until soft.
- Add the thyme, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
- Pour the broth over the vegetables, and then add the dried split peas.
- Bring the soup to a boil on high heat, then drop the heat to a simmer on low heat. Cover the pot and a set a timer for 75 to 90-minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid the soup from burning. The soup is done with the split peas appear very soft and mushy.
- Serve warm and top with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley.
