(yields about 14 cups)
1 1/2 cups dried green split peas (make sure they’re still green, if they’re brown they’re old.)
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced or shredded (Tip: Because I always have a bag of shredded carrots in the fridge to quickly add to salads, I use them in this recipe to save a few minutes of peeling and chopping.)
2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or black pepper (or a combination of both)
1/2 teasponn curry powder
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water (plus up to 2 more to compensate for evaporation during cooking.)
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas (one 12 ounce bag)
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Rinse dried split peas well in a sieve and sit it over a small bowl filled with water to continue to soften while you start the rest.
Spray the bottom of a non-stick soup pot well with olive oil spray and/or drizzle 1 t of olive oil and swirl to coat.
Add onions, celery, carrot and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until garlic begins to give off aroma but does not brown.
Sprinkle in salt, pepper, curry powder and the rinsed split peas and stir to coat for a minute. Pour in the broth and 2 c of water and bring to a full boil.
Reduce heat to medium and maintain a strong simmer until the split peas are tender, about 40 minutes, adding in another cup or two of water as it reduces so that you end up with the same amount of liquid you began with.
Add fresh or frozen peas and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Remove the pot from the heat, toss in the fresh dill and, using your immersion blender, puree until it’s the texture you prefer. (If serving soup as an appetizer, I make it a little thinner and puree it until very smooth. If using it for a family meal, I leave it a bit thicker and more chunky.)
TO SERVE:
For a 250 calorie snack or mini-meal, measure 2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin seeds and a few small croutons. If throwing a party, you can serve as a passable appetizer in shot glasses or tiny martini glasses…no spoons necessary!
- Recipe courtesy of Lisa McRee