One of the nice things about soups is that they are filling. This soup especially is high in water content, has minimal added fats (and healthy at that) and is high in fiber. In comparison to other vegetables peas are very high in protein; a ½ cup peas (~98 grams) has 4 grams of protein and a full cup of grated carrots (~110 grams) has only 1 gram of protein. That is why eating this soup before a meal is likely to result in not overeating. Of course weight is a sensitive subject. Some people with arthritis are underweight, some are overweight, and some have a BMI within the recommended zone. Being overweight can put extra pressure on the joints, which is why I recommend this soup. Studies have shown that eating healthy soup before a meal does aid in weight loss because it fills you up slowly. Just avoid soups with creams and unhealthy fats!
My favorite way to make this soup is with the instant pot because the high pressure soften the peas so much and makes for a thick consistency. If you don't have one stay tuned for a stove-top version of this soup on my website lesssugarandmore.com
Not only does Harvard Health Publishing name peas a fall anti-inflammatory superstar, I like making this soup because it is simple to make with very few ingredients, and is filling due to its relatively high protein content for a vegetarian soup - Orit
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Equipment and Tools
Food processor (optional) - I use a food processor to chop the onions; it saves a lot of time. If you opt for a food processor I recommend the Braun brand.
Instant pot - I use the Instant Pot brand. My Instant pot is and older version of this pot here, which is very affordable. I've owned my instant pot for several years and use it an average of six times a month.
Tips
Peas - Do not use frozen peas in this recipe! It will not taste right. Use dry peas that you can find in the pantry aisle of almost all grocery stores. Bagged split peas are healthy and super economical. Always sort the peas per package and rinse. If you are not familar with split peas here is an example of a package you can buy online. This package is more than enough to make a whole batch. Actually two packs will make almost 3 batches or 28 1.5 cup servings! That will give you an idea of how budget friendly this soup is!
Onion - you can use any onion you have and almost any size, depending on your taste. I recommend white onion because it results in the most flavorful soup. Yellow and red onions are very flavorful too! Vidalia or sweet onions are the sweetest but the sugar is natural.
Oil - If using a non-stick pan you may use a little oil (~2 tsp) but for steel pans 1-2 tablespoons are recommended. Olive oil recommended by most health sites as part of a middle eastern diet that has many health benefits. Canola oil is also healthy.
Bouillon - We use Osem soup and seasoning mix. It is vegetarian and adds great flavor. You can choose to use chicken stock instead, or eliminate the bouillon altogether and us various spices. I personally can never make it taste as good without the bouillon!
Quantity - The recipe below makes a total amount of 12-16 cups. If making a smaller amount such as 8 cups cut down on peas to 1 cup, use 1 tsp bouillon and ½ tsp salt. These are recommended amounts as a start and will vary based on your taste.
Seasoning - I love using the Trader Joe's every day seasoning! It makes everything better! If you do not have this seasoning then add more salt and pepper, and perhaps some red pepper flakes, or whatever seasoning your heart desires.
Onion - you can use any onion you have and almost any size, depending on your taste. I recommend white onion because it results in the most flavorable soup. Vidalia or sweet onions have the most sugar (still not a lot) so they are not recommended for this soup. Yellow and red onions are great too!
Oil - If using a non-stick pan you may use a little oil (~2 ts) but for steel pans a couple of tablespoons are recommended. Olive oil recommended by most health sites as part of a middle eastern diet that has many health benefits. Canola oil is also healthy.
Sauté tip - After chopping the onion in the food processor some water may come out. If you do not want to spend too much time drying the onion with colander and paper towel then warm up the pan and add the onion to the pan, add the oil to a different location, after the onion dries out you can move the onion toward the oil to get the browning effect, without the splatter that is caused by mixing hot oil and water
Bouillon - We use Osem Consomme Soup and Seasoning mix. It comes in powder form and so easy to use. It lasts forever! It is vegetarian (although it tastes a bit like chicken soup) and adds great flavor. You can choose to use chicken stock or vegetable stock instead , or various spices. My soup never tastes as good without this powder.
Ecologically and budget-friendly tip - Use the Osem powder instead of canned broth because it will cost less and uses up less packaging making it environmentally-friendly!
Quantity - The recipe below makes a total amount of 16 cups. If making a smaller amount such as 8 cups cut down on dry peas to 1 cup, use 1½ tsp bouillon and ¾ tsp salt. These are recommended amounts as a start.
Time saving tips
Add all the ingredients into one pot and skip any sautéing. Remember to cut the onion and carrots first. Note that some flavor will be lost but the soup will still be great.
Add water to the food processor bowl after you used it to chop the onions. Mine is exactly two liters. Use this water in step 8 to add water to the instant pot after peas are finished cooking. This cleans off the food processor, saves measurement time, and uses every last bit of that onion.
Electric pot (optional) - If you did not use a food processor to chop the onions, then you are not following the above tip. In this case, to save time you can heat up water in an electric pot. Everyone. Everyone. Everyone in Europe has an electric pot. They are such time savers for boiling or heating up water. Here is an example of one so you know what to look for when shopping for one yourself. This one is very pretty but a little heavier and this one is lighter so it's easier to lift.
Meal planning tips
Instant Pot - The peas can stay in the instant pot after they are cooked for much longer than 30 minutes; a few hours is ok. Also, once the soup is finished cooking altogether, it can stay in the instant pot on keep warm for hours. That is why I enjoy using the instant pot for this soup; you can start in the morning if you have more time then, and complete the various steps as time allows. Conversely,
Prepare the Seasoning Mix in advance
To make it more interesting when reheating try adding spinach, asparagus or a different fresh herb. Whole wheat noodles taste great with this soup too!
Recipe for Easy and Healthy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
1: Ingredients
Main Ingredients
1.5 cups split green peas
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive or canola oil
1 onion, cut
2 carrots, cut
Water so that all ingredients together add to 16 cups
Seasoning Mix
2.5 tsp soup seasoning mix
1 tsp salt
0.25 tsp Everyday Seasoning from Trader Joe
0.25 tsp black pepper
2: Directions
Sort and rinse dry peas
Put peas in instant pot and add 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp salt and water to cover the peas plus an additional 1" or 2.5 cm (about 3.5 cups of water)
Cook for 15 minutes on high pressure on instant pot. About 1 hour without pressure on the stove.
Chop onions in food processor
Sauté cut onion in a pan with olive oil
Peel and cut carrots and add to pan and sauté both onion and carrots until slightly gold
When peas are done cooking let instant pot depressurize naturally for 30 minutes or longer, if time permits. You can also press to release the pressure
Add sautéed onions and carrots to the instant pot, Seasoning Mix, and about 8 cups of water. This should add up to the 2/3 cup line on a 6 Qt instant pot (16 cups)
9. Reboil mixture by pressing "sauté" button
Once reboiled carefully replace lid, which will still be hot, and press "slow cook" function for 15 minutes minimum and 2 hours maximum
10. Adjust salt and pepper as desired
3: Mix it up
Add the rind of a good parmasean or parmagio romagio cheese to deepen the soup's flavor. Do this in step 8 when adding the onions and carrots. Reduce salt amount by about 1/2 tsp and adjust salt amount at end.
You can also add kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Or when you are reheating the soup and want to make it different than original, put the raw kale in the soup, and then reheat.
4: Serving suggestion
Pour hot soup over raw washed spinach. This will wilt the spinach slightly and cool the soup just a bit. Spinach is a great addition especially for vegans and vegetarians because it contains iron. Make it pretty by adding green onion or chives. This soup is also great with noodles or this bread
5: Storage
After soup cools move to storage container and put in refrigerator. Depending on your refrigerator temperature this soup is good for about 5 days. This soup may also be frozen. Reheat carefully on stove top if serving size is two or more, or microwave for one serving.
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