Thursday, February 13, 2014

Split Pea and Lentil Soup

Split Pea and Lentil Soup

Nothing is better on a cold snowy day than a warm, delicious pot of soup bubbling away on the stove.  That is why a couple of days ago when I heard we were due to get over a foot of snow today, and my mom had just told me over the phone about a pea soup she had made over the weekend, I knew what I was going to plan for tonight's dinner. My mom never did get around to emailing me the recipe she used but she told me it had parsnips and rosemary in it which sounded good to me.  So yesterday when everyone was at the grocery store buying milk, bread and eggs, I was stocking up on my ingredients for tonight's healthy feast... (along with some milk, bread and eggs as well!)

Knowing that my husband is not a huge fan of pea soup and that a lot of people do add ham to it, I figured a little meat in it would probably make him and my son a bit happier.  But I am not a big fan of ham, or pork products in general, at least not when the flavor permeates an entire dish, so I figured why not just top the soup with some crumbled up, crispy turkey bacon.  My local store carries the healthier nitrate free variety and I figured it would be easy to fry up while the soup boils so I can garnish their bowls, and maybe mine, with as little or as much meat as we would like.  I also added in the parsnips and the rosemary as my mom's recipe suggested, and they definitely make the dish that much more flavorful.  Super easy and full of healthy nutrient rich vegetables, this soup will warm both your home and your body.


Split Pea and Lentil Soup 
with Turkey Bacon Crumbles
fresh ingredients

1/4 C. olive oil
4 shallots, finely diced
1 T. "Better than Bouillon" chicken flavor
2 parsnips, finely chopped
2 C. dried peas and/ or lentils, rinsed well
          (I used about 1/2 a package of Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix)
8 C. water (or vegetable/chicken broth if not using the bouillon)
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
turkey bacon (I used Applegate Farms brand)
other ingredients


In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add in the shallots and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add in the chicken bouillon, if using, and stir well.  Mix in the parsnips, the pea soup mix, the water and the rosemary and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least an hour.  Meanwhile, cook the turkey bacon according to package instructions (I cooked mine on the stove top for about 30 minutes).  Remove the rosemary stems before serving. Serve the soup hot with crumbles of bacon over top.

chopped veggies
ready to cook
ready to serve
cooked turkey bacon
dinner is served!

2 comments:

  1. Looks like the perfect supper for a cold, snowy night.

    ReplyDelete