This recipe calls for dried beans (peas, to be exact). I have always sped my shopping cart past the dried bean section, and stopping at the canned bean department instead. I think it all goes back to a recipe I tried back in the early 90′s, and I could. not. get. those. beans. to. cook! Those beans soaked for what seemed like weeks, and when I made the dish (soup, I think it was), they were still crunchy. So, seriously, this is the first time I have used dried beans in 15 years, at least. And, granted, these are tiny little split peas, so they don’t really count, do they? They take no time to soak and cook. Ok, so for this soup, I chose not to use my immersion blender. Why? It’s been letting me down a lot lately. If you are making a soup, let’s say, and it needs to have some chunky bits still left in there, it would be fine. But if you want a creamy silky soup, your friend Mr. Blender is the way to go. So that’s what I do now. I let the soup cool down, and then put it in the blender in batches. Works like a charm. This soup was fabulous. And I love that it’s from Cooking Light magazine! Fabulous and low-fat! Score! This was excellent, and I will make it again!
rating: 9.3
Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
(Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups green split peas
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced garlic cloves, divided (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, divided (I used dried)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 cups water
2 cups Vegetable Stock or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
Directions:
Sort and wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and bay leaf; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, Vegetable Stock, and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureéd soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup.
Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and parsley. Stir parsley mixture into soup. Spoon soup into bowls; top each with sour cream.
Note: If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt.
