Split pea soup

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 4
Ingredients

For the chive cream
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh chives, plus long cuts for garnish
3 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dried yellow or green split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped lean ham

Directions

To make the chive cream, in a small blender or food processor, combine the chopped chives, yogurt, buttermilk, sugar and salt. Process until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add the carrot and saute until the carrot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the split peas, water, stock, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the peas are tender, 60 to 65 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return to the saucepan over medium heat. Reheat gently.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle or swirl of chive cream and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped ham and a few long cuts of fresh chives. Serve immediately

Split pea soup

Ingredients
Serves 4

# 225g yellow split peas, soaked in cold water overnight then rinsed in a sieve
# 1 organic wheat-free vegetable stock cube
# 1 tsp organic vegetable bouillon powder
# 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
# 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
# 3 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

Method

Place the soaked peas in a large saucepan and cover with 1.5 litres of cold water. Add the stock cube and bouillon powder. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes, removing any froth with a large spoon.

Halfway through the cooking period, add the vegetables and continue simmering for a further 20 minutes until the peas and vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a food processor or liquidiser (the liquid will be hot so avoid splashes) and blend until smooth (you can also use a stick blender for this job). Return to the pan and heat through gently, stirring regularly. (Add more water if the soup appears to be too thick for your taste.)

Tip

Split pea soup is great for cold winter's days. This one makes keeps really well in the fridge. Add some fresh baby spinach leaves to the soup just before serving if you like.