Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Although often made with a ham bone, our version of split pea soup is so hearty and heart healthy you won't miss the meat. Serve with thick slices of rustic bread.
Submitted by: spice from Evanston, IL
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation Instructions:
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Stir in vegetables and sauté until softened (8-10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add peas, the diluted stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat so liquid is simmering. Cook until peas are very tender, about 1 to 1¼ hours.
Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a food processor, or blender, and pulse until almost smooth.
Return to pot and heat until hot, adding more water, if necessary. Soup should be rather thick.
thespicehouse.com
Personally, I prefer adding thyme, cloves and a dash of ginger. Not a fan of bay leaf. Sometimes I will add a bit of half and half to make it creamy, or add parmesan cheese.
Delicious split pea soup recipe! I used fresh thyme, threw in some fresh rosemary, too, and kicked up the proportion of vegetables. It was perfect, and my dinner guests raved.