Split Pea Soup -- a meaty, meatless soup

Split pea soup -- a meaty yet meatless soup. Just the kind of thing to warm you in the cooler months.

What I love about this soup is that it's versatile -- you can adapt it to suit warmer weather. Simply add more water and you have yourself a lighter broth. The soup is a combination of vegetable stock, onions, garlic, celery, carrots and fresh cilantro. The broth is infused with aromatic spices such as cumin, paprika, cilantro seeds and finally, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Split peas are legumes. Simply put, this means that they come from a plant whose seeds are encased in a pod, in this case, the common garden pea. The peas are dried, their skins discarded and then they're mechanically separated to form "split peas".

Dried peas are high in protein and are an excellent source of potassium, B vitamins and cholesterol-lowering fiber. They don't require any pre-soaking, however, it's important to rinse them in cold water before cooking. Once this is done simply throw them in a pot with the soup ingredients, gently boil everything for one hour and then enjoy a steaming bowl of aromatic soup.

More Soup Recipes

• Kumara and Crab Bisque
• Pipi Soup
• Watercress Soup
• Maori Boil-Up

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