Gingery Split Pea Soup

Gingery Split Pea Soup

Adapted from: The Voluptuous Vegan: More Than 200 Sinfully Delicious Recipes for Meatless, Eggless, and Dairy-Free Meals
by Myra Kornfeld and George Minot

Chipotle chile provides the essential smokiness while the sliced ginger offers only a background hint of flavor. Cooked to a golden creaminess, the split peas are enhanced with sautéed, almost carmelized, vegetables and finished with a little miso, which contributes its distinctive richness.

1 cup yellow split peas
1 medium russet potato — peeled and cut into small dice (1 cup)
1 chipotle chile or other dried smoked chile, such as pasilla de Oaxaca OR 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 2-inch chunk ginger — unpeeled, cut into 3 slices
6 cups water
salt
2 tbsp. water
1 medium onion — cut into small dice (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves — minced
1 medium carrot — peeled and cut into small dice (1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk — cut into small dice (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon barley or mellow barley miso, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Note: Pressure Cooker instructions at end of recipe.

In a medium pot, combine the split peas, potatoes, chile, ginger, and 5 cups of the water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer covered 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are completely soft and broken down. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Remove the chile (if using the dried chile) and ginger slices and discard.

Warm 2 tbsp. water in a medium, non-stick skillet. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery and sauté about 10 to 12 minutes over medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown (watch them carefully and stir often to prevent burning). Then add the vegetables to the split peas along with the remaining 1 cup of water.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar and miso. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Reheat if necessary, then stir in the chopped parsley and serve hot.

As an alternative method, add the split peas to a pressure cooker with the potatoes, chile, ginger, and 4 cups of water. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pot, and cook at high pressure for 11 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Remove the lid and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Remove the chile (if using the dried chile) and ginger slices and discard. Proceed as in paragraph 2 above.

Serves 4 — If you want leftovers, double or triple this recipe because this is so delicious that every bite gets eaten right away!

Adapted from a recipe posted to Veg-Recipes

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