I didn’t eat split pea soup much growing up, but it’s one of those hearty soups I have really grown to appreciate as an adult. Apparently my mom tried making it a couple of times when I was young, but no one in the family was very excited about it so she stopped making it. Unfortunately I wasn’t very good about eating things that were naturally green or healthy at that time, but my tastes have changed as I have gotten older, and more importantly, I’m now very thankful my mom had such a strong interest in health and nutrition.

This easy vegetarian recipe for split pea soup is low in fat, but high in protein, fiber and other nutrients. Thanks to the protein and fiber content this soup is pretty satisfying, so it really fills you up and sticks with you. The recipe uses smoked paprika to add a slight smokey flavor, so if you don’t like that smokey flavor you can simply omit it.

It was fun sharing this recipe with my mom as an adult; I was excited to see how much she liked it. She loves how easy and healthy it is, but she also likes how well it keeps so she can just warm it up and enjoy it during the week.

This hearty split pea soup hits the spot on a cold winter’s night and it also works well as a leftover.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 stocks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 small potatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups split peas
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions:

Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium heat in large pot until onions are translucent.

Add salt and pepper, water, split peas, potatoes and bay leaf. Turn up heat to medium high until it starts to boil. Turn heat to medium low and let cook until the peas are soft.

When peas and veggies are soft remove bay leaf. Add smoked paprika if you want the soup to have a smokey flavor. Use immersion blender or add soup to blender in batches and blend to desired consistency. If you like a creamy soup blend the whole batch well. If you like it with more of a chunky texture mix half or two thirds of the soup in a blender, or simply blend it for less time, to get desired consistency.

Sometimes this soup can get a little too thick after it has been refrigerated for a day. If this happens just add a little water, stir and heat it until you get the desired consistency.