SPLIT PEA SOUP
Sometimes, no matter how much you try to gussy up a dish, you can’t get away from how blechy it looks!
Split Pea Soup is definitely an ugly duckling. At least it tastes fab!
I’ve been making this soup for years…it’s one of my family’s favorites and is so comforting on a cold day. Full of nutritious carbs with fiber, and very filling.
It’s a great vegetarian version, but can easily have sausage or ham added, if you prefer. The liquid smoke does make up for that, though…and it’s hard to tell it doesn’t have meat in it.
I like to stir some ricotta cheese or even plain yogurt into mine, to up the protein. Serve with crusty bread for your family…it really is a complete meal.
Make a big pot…it’s even better as leftovers!
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 carrots, shredded
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons barley
1 1/2 cups split peas
6 cups chicken broth (or more as needed until the peas are soft and mushy)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons hickory-smoke liquid flavoring (see below)
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup half & half
1 cup diced smoked sausage – optional
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In a large stockpot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Allow to cook for 10 minutes or until onions are very soft. Add barley and split peas and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and sausage, if using.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue simmering, stirring occasionally for another 30 minutes or until peas are broken down and soup is getting thick and smooth. (The more you stir this while it’s cooking, the smoother it will get.)
Add more chicken broth if it gets too thick before the peas are done. Stir in cream and heat through. Garnish with bacon bits, and a swirl of plain yogurt or sour cream. Makes about ten 1-cup servings.
Without sausage:
Per Serving: Calories 167; Protein 10 g; Fat 5 g; Carbs 16 g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 381 mg
With sausage:
Per Serving: Calories 213; Protein 12 g; Fat 9 g; Carbs 16 g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 509 mg
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Hickory-smoke flavoring liquid comes in several varieties. The two most common and easily found are -
i was really into this until i got to the liquid smoke, linda. But your recipes are awesome, so I’m going to take a deep breath, buy some and give this a go….
It’s what they flavor some BBQ sauces and ‘smoked’ other things that aren’t really smoked, but just have the flavor of smoke!!
I do eat mostly vege – and never pork bacon, so I found this to give it that smokey/bacony taste without the real thing.
I hope you try it, doll!
I skipped the liquid smoke and used small cubes of diced lean ham instead of sausage. I’ll be making it again.
Does this fair well in the crock pot?…It would be nice to come home from baseball/soccer and have a meal ready…need to call it Irish Soup…my kids are not going to go pea soup!
I haven’t done it in the crockpot, but it would work…it simply simmers on the lowest setting on the stove until the split peas are practically dissolved, so the crockpot all day sounds good.
Yeah…kids will eat anything if it’s named right!