Vegan Split Pea Soup with Carrots

The Weather is Changing

We had a terrible storm this week here in northern California. It certainly wasn't as bad as some of the snow storms I've seen on TV in the mid-west. But no matter where you are at this time of year, the change of weather makes you think of hot soup. Split pea soup is one of my favorites. You can find my recipe for Raw Vegan Split Pea Soup on my May 12th, 2009 post. But when the cold weather hits, I eat more cooked food so I offer you a healthy recipe for this popular winter soup - one without a fatty ham hock!

Split Peas - Why They Are Good For You

Split peas are green peas that were picked at the peak of their goodness and dried. Rich in fiber, split peas can help reduce cholesterol and balance your blood sugar. This makes them an excellent food for those with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Only 1½ cups of cooked split peas provides 100% of your daily fiber requirements. Besides fiber, they are an excellent source of molybdenum, needed by the body to produce sulfite oxidase, an enzyme that detoxifies sulfites. If you have a bad reaction to sulfites, you may be deficient in molybdenum. Split peas are also rich in manganese, folate, vitamin B1 (thiamin), potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. A one pound bag of split peas cost a little over $1 so this recipe is not only very nutritious, but you can feed your whole family this healthy, filling soup for just a few dollars.

One cup of cooked split peas contain:

Calories - 231.3

Fiber - 16.3 g, (65% DV*)

Protein - 16.3 g, (33% DV)

Fat - 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat and 0 g cholesterol

Carbohydrates - 41 g, (14% DV)

Thiamin - 0.4 mg, (25% DV)

Folate - 127 mcg, (32% DV)

Pantothenic acid - 1.2 mg, (12% DV)

Iron - 2.5 mg, (14% DV)

Magnesium - 70.6 mg, (18% DV)

Molybdenum - 147 mcg, (196% DV)

Phosphorus - 194 mg, (19% DV)

Potassium - 710 mg, (20% DV)

Zinc - 2.0 mg, (13% DV)

Copper - 0.4 mg, (18% DV)

Manganese - 0.8 mg, (39%)

*Daily Values, DV, based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Vegan Split Pea Soup with Carrots [serves 6]

1 pound split peas

2 cups onions, chopped

1 1/2 cups celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups filtered water or more if needed

1 bay leaf

1 cup new potatoes with skins, diced small

4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

fresh ground pepper for topping

Sort though peas and remove small stones and clumps of dirt. Rinse well. In a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven or soup pot, combine split peas, onions, celery, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until peas are soft, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and cook another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, stirring more frequently. Add more water any time during cooking if needed. Remove the bay leaf and put soup in a blender and process until smooth. This may take 2 batches depending on the size of your blender. Make sure the top of the blender is firmly in place and the speed setting in initially on low (unless you want green peas on your ceiling). Return soup to the pot, add carrots and simmer, partially covered, until the carrots are soft, around 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt if needed, serve and top with freshly ground pepper if desired.

Per serving: 321.8 calories, 0.8 g fat, 0.2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 20.8 g protein, 60.8 g carbohydrates and 22.8 g of fiber.