On snowy days, we love to have a hearty soup for dinner. Well, I love to have a hearty soup for dinner. The rest of my family would prefer something else but split pea soup is one of my favorite meals. It’s so good for you and unlike cooking with dried beans, split peas don’t have to soak before you use them in a recipe.
Split pea soup can have a reputation for being flavorless so I’ve added some kick because spice is nice, isn’t it? Don’t worry, there’s not too much kick but just the right amount.
If you eat ham, hold onto your next ham bone and make broth with it – follow the steps here for making homemade chicken broth. Be sure and add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to your ham bone broth. The vinegar won’t leave an after taste and you’ll be adding nutrients to the broth. You need 12-cups of broth for this recipe so make plenty.
If you want to make this soup vegetarian, skip the ham bone and use vegetable broth instead. It is so easy to make your own vegetable broth – and is such a cost saver! Hold onto your vegetable scraps (a bag in the freezer), toss into a large pot, add plenty of water and some herbs and salt, bring to a boil, and simmer for an hour or so. Done.
Scraps you would have normally tossed out or composted are now a delicious part of your dinner.
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 4 cups carrots, shredded
- 2 pounds split peas (about 4 cups)
- 12 cups broth or water
- In a large stock pot, warm oil and add chopped onions.
- Cook onions until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic to onions and stir for about a minute.
- After adding garlic to onions, add all spices and stir.
- Next, add split peas and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Add liquid, cover and bring to a boil.
- Add shredded carrots and bring to a boil again.
- Keep lid on pot and simmer for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once split peas and carrots have broken down and soup is creamy, adjust seasoning.
- Serve and enjoy.
You can also buy broth – you’ll need 3 each 1-quart packages – (12 cups) for a total of 96 ounces (3 liters).
Thankfully the snow has finally melted and the sun is shining – today. We’ll be having split pea soup regardless of the weather!
What do you like to eat when it’s snowy outside? Do you like split pea soup?
Go Gingham related links:
Pumpkin and squash soup – it’s easy and delicious!
Lentils and pork – lentils are similar to beans but there’s no soaking
Why I cook with dried beans – complete with money saving chart!
How to cook with dried beans – easy and you can use a slow-cooker
Why the “can” is bad in canned beans
Corn and black bean salad – made with dried beans
Spicy hummus – yes, spicy and made from dried beans!
Go Gingham 
Soup is a constant around here in the winter. My husband makes the pea soup and we like it best with a ham bone and ham broth. It’s even better the next day. 🙂
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This looks great! I love soup on snowy days and we are having alot of them here in the Northeast! Just made a batch of butternut squash apple soup. That’s what’s for dinner…although I might have to cook up some chicken for the rest of the family…they don’t feel like soup is enough of a meal for them :). I can’t wait to try the split pea recipe especially since i don’t always have a ham bone readily available.
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