Wicked Easy Split Pea Soup

When I was training for one of those 200-mile running relays, I grew keen on eating legume-laden soups for lean protein. I was reminded that soups generally are so easy and forgiving and inexpensive to make, so I decided to start incorporating them into my kitchen routine. This soup -- packed with fiber and protein -- is super easy to knock together, and was perfect for chilly days!

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried green split peas, rinsed
• 7 cups liquid (e.g., water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock -- I don't like having partially used containers in my refrigerator because I invariably lose track of them and they go to waste, so I used one 4-cup box of vegetable stock + 3 cups of water via rinsing the interior of the veggie stock box. This allowed me to clean the container while getting all the stock goodness out.)
• 1 large potato
• 1 medium/large onion
• Coarse salt

Steps

1. Place peas and stock in a large pot and set heat to medium/high heat. While stock heats up, peel and dice potato and onion. Toss in the pot. When stock comes to boil, reduce heat to low/medium and partially cover with lid. Cook for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are very soft. If the peas start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little more water, lower the heat, and stir more frequently.

2. Use a potato masher and mash to desired consistency (I mashed for all of 20-30 seconds since I like some lumps in my soup). Season with salt to taste. Enjoy plain or with croutons or pita chips.

Note: If you want to pump up the vegetable content, add some diced carrots and celery midway through cooking. Or cooked bacon or ham pieces make for a savory addition. If you add ham or bacon, season with salt after you add those ingredients due to the high salt content of the meat.

Featured image via Pixabay