Soup is one of those foods I can eat all year long no matter how cold or hot it is outside. That’s how much I love soup. Especially split pea soup. The Whole Foods buffet has a wide selection of daily prepared soups, and split pea happens to be one of them. Soon I realized I shouldn’t be paying four or five dollars for a little thing of soup every time I walked in the store. That’s when I discovered a similar recipe on their website. Jackpot! Talk about saving money. I’ve modified the recipe to taste more like the one on the buffet. This soup was also served with the honey mustard pork roast with bacon . It’s a winning pair.

The split peas will become tender and “melt” into the soup as they cook. I’ve heard that soaking the split peas beforehand will allow them to cook faster, but I’ve never tried it.

Literally dump all of the vegetables in the pot. Can’t get any easier than that.

Add the broth, and let the heat do all the work. Only patience is required.

No pureeing necessary. The vegetables break down and the split peas become tender while the soup simmers away.

If using regular chicken broth, no additional salt is needed. Just a dash of pepper.

Split Pea Soup
adapted from Whole Foods

serves 2

This recipe can easily be doubled to serve four.

Ingredients
1 cup green split peas, rinsed
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a dutch oven or stock pot, add the split peas, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and chicken broth. Stir together and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally until peas are very tender. Discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.