Country Style Split Pea Soup
Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1 cupIngredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, rinsed and sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 pound package dried split peas
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- A pinch each of 4 different dried and ground peppers: paprika, white pepper, black pepper, chili pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pork chop, diced
- 4-6 cups water
- Dash fat-free half and half
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Garnish: Pepper sauce and arugula leaves
Directions:
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a nonstick wok or Dutch oven.
- Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until the onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the split peas and toss in the oil.
- Add the spices and the diced pork and cover with a lid. Cook until the pork is opaque and browned slightly.
- Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook (covered) for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the peas are thick and very soft. Add more water along the way if needed.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender. Add a little fat-free half and half to make it creamy. For a country style split pea soup, keep about 10-20% of the ingredients not pureed.
- Add the frozen peas and return the soup to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and serve hot. Garnish with hot pepper sauce drops and a few arugula leaves.
Nutrition Information:
- Serves 8. Each serving has 271 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 16 g fiber, 8 g sugars, and 19 g protein.
- Each serving also has 57% vitamin A, 13% vitamin C, 9% calcium and 16% iron.