Split Peasers Soup

I love legumes.  Let me say that again.  I LOVE legumes.  Every single one of them.  They are economical, full of fiber, calcium, iron and protein.  If you haven't delved into the world of legumes because you are intimidated, there are so many recipes for you to try that incorporate just a small amount of legumes. 

The recipe I'm about to share, which is one of our favorite cold weather recipes, is full of legumes of the split pea variety.  Since we are feeling pretty strapped financially, this is a recipe that makes two meals for us, with little spending.

Eh, I might've lost you when I said split pea, if you don't enjoy split pea soup.  But for those of you that are wanting something healthy, filling, warm and cheap, this recipe may work for you!

Basic ingredients...

Can't forget the onions! And the best part is you can kind of 'cube' these up - no dicing!

Add a little extra virgin olive oil and let those things wilt a bit

Add the split peas, sea salt, pepper, a bay leaf, yummy stuff like that ..... and some hot sauce! LOTS of hot sauce!

 

Let it simmer, until it's to the split peas are cooked!

And serve! 

Add a nice salad of mixed greens and some crusty bread, mmmmm!

Hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as we do!  :-)
 
Split Pea Soup
2 onions, cut into cubes
1-2 TB of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb of split peas (I prefer yellow)
2 stalks of celery
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable if you want this recipe to be vegan)
Hot sauce, to taste
1-2 cups water

Cook onions with the olive oil in a large saucepan until they begin to wilt.  Add garlic, split peas, celery and all seasonings.  Then add the broth and hot sauce.  Bring to a boil, then let simmer, covered on low heat for about an hour or until the lentils have softened(depends on which kind of lentils you use).  Stir occasionally.  Once ready to serve, I like to add and additional 1-2 cups of water, to make a soupy consistency, as it will thicken as it stands.  I will sometimes run my immersion blender through it, and sometimes will add some chopped carrots to the recipe also.