Belated Happy New Year to all! I’ve taken a bit of a break from blogging (always feel guilty when I haven’t posted for a week), but don’t assume that means I’ve taken a break from cooking.
This week we had our first dusting of snow. The temperature suddenly dropped yesterday, and when I glanced out the sliding glass doors in my family room I was shocked to see a continuous gust of wind carrying with it a flurry of small snowflakes.
Within 10 minutes the snow had stopped, but the cold temps have remained. A good day to make a pot of soup, and at the same time use up some things that have been lying around the kitchen for awhile.
So I came up with this Yellow Split Pea Soup With Winter Squash. I had a bag of yellow split peas in the pantry that had been there for some time. (I’ve also been on a mission to use up some of the items in my overflowing pantry).
The day before I had roasted a butternut squash and 2 small carnival squash that had been sitting around being decorative since Thanksgiving. (It’s amazing how long winter squash will keep if in a cool place)!
With the addition of packaged organic chicken stock from the pantry and some onions, carrots, celery and herbs I had the makings for this warming, thick and fiber packed soup with just the right amount of sweetness and texture.
Also, if you substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock this would be a great vegetarian soup as well.
Perfect as is, but just begging for a hunk of good bread for dunking…
Yellow Split Pea Soup With Winter Squash
1 package dried yellow split peas, rinsed and any pebbles removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 and ½-2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
1 package organic chicken stock (32 ounces)
2- 3 cups water
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley sprigs (or a few pinches of dried parsley if you don’t have fresh)
butternut and carnival squash (or any winter squash of your choice)… which has been cubed, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted with a couple sliced shallots…(a good way to use up left-over roasted squash…add it to a soup)
In a large pot, cook the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent and golden, but not browned.
Add the chicken stock and water to the pot along with the rinsed yellow split peas.
Stir well. Add the carrots and celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook for about 2 hours. If the soup is too thick you can add more stock or water. Remove the bay leaf.
At this point you can add the roasted squash and continue to heat, checking for seasoning.
If you prefer, you can puree the soup, removing the carrots and celery (or not, it’s up to you) with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or blender.
Then you can put the soup back into the pot and add your cubes of roasted squash.
If you want the entire soup pureed you can puree the squash along with the other veggies. I prefer a pureed soup, but like the added texture of the veggies left whole.
Either way, heat before serving and taste for seasoning.