Simple Yellow Split Pea Soup

A few weeks ago, we visited Sydney, Australia and stayed with a friend for nine days. I was ecstatic to be staying in a house and having access to a kitchen. I miss cooking! To stock up on items we went to the growers market (what I call a farmers market) and bought two grocery bags full of pesticide-free produce. Next we went to the natural food store to buy some legumes and other items. Basically my favorite type of shopping! Food in Australia is expensive. I was eyeing exciting foods like sauerkraut and gluten free breads (okay, I see how these might not be that exciting for some people..haha) but I decided to just buy some basics so we could stay within budget. I ended up cooking mostly soups, quinoa, pesto pasta and a lot of vegetables! After eating out for five months so it was heaven.

As much as I like exciting meals, I also love simplicity, such as meals that don’t require a long list of ingredients or many hours reading over cookbooks. This soup, while simple, was a big hit. If you want more than just a soup for a meal, pair it with some whole grain bread or a salad.

For the recipe click below!

Simple Yellow Split Pea Soup
Two or Three servings

• 1.5 cups yellow split peas
• 5+ cups of water
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp salt (taste before serving to see if you need more)
• 1 Tbsp coconut/ghee/rice bran oil
• Two inches of ginger, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp hing (or garlic)
• Handful of cilantro
• Cooked vegetables of your choice (made in a separate pan).

Instructions

1. The night before soak the yellow split peas in water. In the morning drain and rinse the peas.
2. Add peas and turmeric to a pot with water.
3. Bring it to a low boil and let it boil for 1-3 hours (depending on how high the heat is and how smooth you want it). Every half hour or so check to see if you need to add more water.
4. Once it’s almost done (the texture is smooth and silky) make the spice mixture, instructions below.

Spice Mixture

1. In a small saucepan heat oil on medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the diced ginger, let it fry for five minutes until it starts slightly turning brown.
3. Add the cumin seeds, let it cook for 20 seconds (don’t burn it!).
4. Next add the coriander and hing (or garlic), stir for a few seconds.
5. Quickly remove from heat and scoop mixture into soup. Put a few spoonfuls of the soup in the pan and swirl it around to get all of the mixture!
6. Let the soup continue to boil gently as you sauté some vegetables.
7. When vegetables are done, serve soup with vegetables and cilantro on top.