by ADMIN on DECEMBER 2, 2011
I love winter soups. In my opinion, nothing is better than coming home to a piping hot bowl of hearty, homemade deliciousness on a cold day (unless it’s followed by rich chocolate cake, that is!).
This soup pulls together different winter vegetables and sinks them into a creamy (yet non-dairy) split pea base. The taste really comes alive with the smokey flavor of chopped ham. (This is optional – the ham can be removed to create a vegetarian version).
TIP: Chopping the turnip and carrots up into small cubes, about 1/3 an inch, allows them to cook faster and make shorter simmer time.
Split Pea and Winter Veggie Soup
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Serves: 4
Hearty split pea soup with turnips, carrots, and the smokey flavor of ham.
Ingredients
6 cups water
3 bouillon cubes
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes (about ⅓ - ½ an inch)
½ of a large turnip, peeled and cubes into small cubes (1/3 - ½ an inch)
¾ pound of smoked, cooked ham, cut into small cubes
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ a bag of dry split peas (about ½ a pound or 8 oz)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven with onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Add ham, turnips, and carrots; stir well and cook for another 5 - 8 minutes. Add the water, bouillon, split peas, and seasoning. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, covered (tilt the lid up slightly to let some steam escape).
Simmer for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender and split peas have dissolved.
Enjoy!
