Split Pea Soup Three Ways

Classic split pea soup three ways: baked potato, harvest and German inspired soups. 

Disclosure: Thank you to USA dry pea and lentil council for sponsoring this post.

I like recipes with versatility. The ability to take one standard dish and make it work to suit your mood is something you should definitely have in your cooking repertoire. Soup is perfect for that kind of thing. You can add spices, different stocks, croutons, meat... really the possabilities with soup are endless. And now that it's soup weather, let's make it happen. 

Since Split Pea Soup Week is the second full week of November (November 13th-17th), we thought updating this comforting classic would be particularly handy. Thanks to the creamy nature of pureed pulses like split peas, the toppings are where you can make easy adjustments to flavor and texture. Today we're going to show you how to take one split pea soup base and make a 'baked potato' version, a nod to 'harvest' flavors, and lastly a German inspired version that includes soft pretzel bites. That's my personal favorite. 

Be sure to also watch the video to see how we made split pea soup three ways! 

Beyond the creamy texture benefits of split peas there are many nutrition benefits. Like all pulses, they're an excellent source of fiber, a good source of plant-based protein (up to 9 grams per 1/2 cup cooked!) and they're packed with other nutrients like potassium and folate. If you want to learn more about how you can add more pulses to your menus, definitely check out Pulses.org. You can also sign up for the 1/2 cup habit challenge which I think is probably one of the easiest things you can do to shift to improve your eating habits. Eat more pulses. The challenge is all about adding, not subtracting.

Okay, but now for the really good stuff: you can enter the giveaway USA Dried Pea and Lentil Council is throwing to win a Le Creuset (it's just like the one I'm using in this video!). The giveaway kicks off today (Monday) at 9 AM PST. Make soup happen!

Enter the giveaway for a Le Creuset here. 

Split Pea Soup Three Ways

Serves:8 /// Time: 1 hour to make soup base

/// Ingredients///

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, about 1 1/4 cup diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced, about 3/4 cups
• 2 large stalks celery, about 1 cup finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound dried green split peas
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf

Variations

"Baked Potato" toppings: sour cream, crisped potato cubes, hot sauce, chopped chives

"Harvest" toppings: green apple matchsticks, cooked ground sausage, a dash of apple cider vinegar, pomegranate kernels, chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds

"German" Inspired toppings: soft pretzel bites, whole grain dijon mustard, sour cream, fresh dill, cooked sausage, sauerkraut 

/// Directions ///

Add butter/olive oil, veggies and salt and pepper to large pot over medium heat until veggies are very soft, about 7-10 minutes.

Rinse dried split peas. Add to the pot with veggies along with a bay leaf and stock. Stir. Bring to a boil then cover and turn to low. Cook about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and purée soup. 

Select your desired topping variations and enjoy! 

• To reheat: Thin as needed with additional stock or water. 
• To freeze: Store 3-6 months in the freezer in an airtight container