Easy Pea-sy Split Pea Soup
Excuse my pun. I couldn’t help myself. I love puns, they make me laugh, and we could probably all use a little bit more laughter in our lives.
This soup however, came about because of something a little less funny…the weather.
I know, I know, all my friends and family back home in Michigan don’t want to hear that it’s been “cold” in North Carolina, but it has been unseasonably chilly this last week. However, I will agree though that it’s not actually “cold” here and I know everyone up north with snow is ready to get on with spring.
This is my last ditch effort to have a nice, warm, cozy bowl of soup. Then we can officially move on to spring. We’re all ready for it. Minus the allergy part of spring, allergies are just the worst.
I love this recipe because it’s a perfect – spring is coming and I’m ready for new and fresh foods so let’s clean out the pantry – kind of recipe! It only requires 6 ingredients plus some salt and pepper. You can’t get much easier than that!
This soup is a perfect warm up when the temperature is frustratingly low but you refuse to turn the heat back on since it’s April. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups dried split peas
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 t dried thyme
- 6 cups water
- 1 t salt, 1/2 t black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
Directions
- Soak raw cashews in water for 2+ hours or over night (soak in boiling water to speed this along)
- In a large soup pot sauté the onion with a drizzle of olive oil until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute.
- Stir in the dried split peas and the thyme. Add the water, then the salt and pepper and mix.
- Cook the soup on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until most of the water has absorbed and the split peas are mostly broken down, about one hour. This will create a very thick soup.
- If you used fresh thyme, remove any thyme springs with a fork.
- If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a traditional blender (after cooling slightly).
- Drain the cashews then puree with 1/3 cup water in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, this should still be relatively thick.
- Stir 1/3 cup cashew cream into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Swirl in some extra cashew cream and top with fresh thyme.
I recommend a nice hunk of bread to go along with your soup. Talk about comfort food!
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