Green split pea soup

I am the sort of person who gets an irrational amount of fun and excitement when I can whip up a healthy and filling dinner with an almost empty fridge. A bit weird, isn't it. It gives me the satisfaction of saving a last-minute restaurant trip and of my pantry keeping efforts. See, all those times when I am buying pantry staples my husband occasionally says, why do we need all this; but a meal entirely out of pantry is exactly the ticket to convince him of all its goodness. 

Yesterday I came back home late after visiting the new gym (so many things change when you change a place, isn't it, like driving to a new gym rather than walking a few steps to the apartment gym). Fridge barely had anything and even my freezer was running low. My long scavenger hunt ended with 3 bread slices, an onion, few last bits of a celery and a very oldish looking carrot. Whenever I see the onion-celery-carrot trio, soups always jump to my mind.. but I did not have limes or lemons.. no, hang on, there was that guy in office who had brought a whole bag of yard grown lemons and was asking everyone to help themselves.. and I did take a couple.. another scavenger-hunt in my office purse (yes, there is _always_ scavenger hunt there!) and I found lemons. Perfect!

I made a new green split pea soup. I mostly opt for lentil soup but as I was out on lentils an old half packet of green split peas hidden at the back of the cupboard came in handy. On the side I whipped a quinoa salad which is quite similar to the quinoa salad I had posted long back and roasted one and half odd yams. (Roasted yams is one of the fastest and delicious dessert that we both enjoy!).
Recipe:
Source: adapted from this recipe found through Googling
Ingredients:
1 medium onion - chopped
1 garlic clove - minced
1tsp minced ginger
3 celery sticks
1 carrot
2C dried split green peas
5C water
juice & zest of 1lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper

Toppings:
good finishing oil - EVOO or a flavored oil like lemon oil
chili flakes

Recipe:
** The soup came out delicious. It is a light soup (that is not heavy on seasonings) so you need a good finishing oil. I used up some lemon oil that I got as a gift last Christmas and it paired wonderfully with this soup! Salad was a simple cooked quinoa, red bell peppers, quarter of an onion, olive oil, vinegar, S&P. A dinner well served!
  1. Heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot.
  2. Add onion, ginger and garlic and saute for a few minute until the onions have softened a bit.
  3. Add chopped celery, carrot, peas, water and enough salt. Bring it to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook covered for half an hour or so until the peas have softened.
  5. Using a potato masher, mash the soup in the soup pot itself. Do not completely make it into a mush. Mash so that there still remains bits of peas which give some texture to the soup.
  6. Turn off the heat. Add lime juice and adjust the seasonings.
  7. Serving ideas: serve hot with a drizzle of good quality olive oil, lemon zest, chili flakes and black pepper OR add some lemon flavored olive oil with a dash of paprika and chili flakes OR a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Comments

Sushma Mallya said…
Hi Pj, Your blog looks so neat and beautiful now..love the new look...and soup looks lovely too, very healthy and very different from the usual...Got to try this one,looks filling as well
Preeti Kashyap said…
neat header! I do scavenger hunt in my purse too..mostly for biscuits,cookies and chips. Well, a lot of changes in my life too... now I need to drive to the gym and to a pool...2 diff places! Uni gyms are so much better!
Nithya said…
Wow.. the soup looks yummy. :)
Pari Vasisht said…
Kushal gruhini aahes ga. But that's an art to concoct a wholesome meal out of nothing. A very healthy soup and lemon oil sounds interesting.
TREAT AND TRICK said…
Hello PJ, great new look...it's amazing that you could whip up a yummy soup with limited items and it turns out perfect. Have a wonderful weekend dear....
PJ said…
Sushma, thanks! I am so glad you liked the new blog looks. The soup was very filling, due to the split peas i bet.

Preeti, thanks! I feel so too, the new look is much cleaner and simpler, glad you liked it :) Uni gym sounds like a real necessity, particularly for swimmers.

Nithya, thanks! I am glad you liked the soup.

Pari, heh heh, not sure about kurshal grihini but its fun to make a meal out of nothing :) Lemon oil is really good, do taste it if you get a chance sometimes and so is garlic oil
Panchpakwan said…
Soup looks healthy and so colorful.
sangeeta said…
it's really fun to concoct something like this......i love any kind of lentil soups and with lemon this one looks like a refreshing meal..
PJ said…
Treat and Trick, thanks! I am so glad you liked the new look :) Happy weekend to you too!

Panchpakwan, thanks! I am happy you liked the soup.

Sangeeta, lemon oil is really great.. it livens up simple dishes and has a nice tangy lemony bite to it. I am going to experiment more with flavored oils from now on.
Unknown said…
Very healthy and tempting soup...loved the colour of the soup...have a nice day...
Cool Lassi(e) said…
Hey, you gave a facelift to your space. Nice!
As for the soup, nice outcome with all the loot from pantry and purse raid. Looks delicious!
tinyskillet said…
You are not weird, I get that same feeling when I can whip up a pantry meal, with a little fridge or freezer thrown in! lol! Very nice green split pea soup!
Priya Suresh said…
Such a catchy, healthy and filling soup, looks prefect..
Namitha said…
That's a fantastic whip up of the left overs :D Haven't tried any flavored oils yet..
PJ said…
Kamalika, thanks! I am so glad you liked the soup.

Cool Lassi(e), thanks! It was long overdue for a faceshift :D glad you liked it!

Lyndsey, isn't it the most satisfying to make something out of nothing :)

Priya, thanks! I am so glad you liked teh soup.

Namitha, oh you should try the flavored oils they are really delicious. I am loving them more and more as I use them.
shahana said…
Im looking for this recipe from along time.Thanks for sharing!
Cham said…
Haha, I make soup with whatever veggie i could reach in my fridge! This green creation sounds simple and filling!
Lovely soup,,I can have all time , my very fav one always..Surely will try this version dear.
PJ said…
Shahana, I am so glad you found the recipe you were looking for.

Cham, that sounds like me.. I am always throwing things at random in my soup pot.. its amazing it manages to still taste like soup at the end :D

Pavithra, thanks! This was my first time making this green split pea soup but from now on this will surely be a menu frequent-er.
SathyaSridhar said…
Heyy PJ,,,first to say ur blogs new template looks soo great n neat dear,,and the soup supero super sounds great dear very healthy soup,,
indosungod said…
Wholesome soup. Of course the delight of unearthing lost/forgotten items in the fridge or pantry can't be gotten in a restaurant meal.
pierre said…
hi Pj this dish brings Spring in our plate !! Thanks Pierre
Miri said…
That is one interesting soup!! Necessity is the mother of invention and all that :)
PJ said…
Sathya, thanks dear! I am so glad you liked the new template and colors.

Indo, I know, my fridge is always a treasure of lost and forgotten items.. i am really happy when i can manage to salvage something rather than throwing it out.

Pierre, thanks, perfect in-time for spring.

Miri, indeed :) I am so glad you liked it though.
sayantani said…
thats looks very temting. never tried this combo but sounds and looks temting.
Deepa said…
wow, thats an art and needs loads of creativity to whip out a dish out of just anything (wont say nothing)..this looks super healthy..flavored oils..wow, thats something very interesting..

the new look of the blog is just refreshing..too good.
Ann said…
I love your presentation dear.. and the pic is super inviting.
Joanne said…
It is definitely comforting to know that you can take a random array of ingredients and create something delicious out of them. This soup looks lovely!

And roasted yams are my favorite go-to dessert as well! And so healthy!
arthi said…
lovely soup..healty too and nice presentation:)
PJ said…
Sayantani, thanks! I am glad you liked the soup.

Deepa, flavored oils are very interesting.. i have started using them more and more in my cooking. I am sure you would love them too!

Ann, thanks! I am so glad you liked the presentation and the soup.

Joanne, yes! Roasted yams beats any fancy desserts for me, particularly when i get some really good quality yams!

Arthi, thanks! I am so glad you liked the soup and the presentation.
Shama Nagarajan said…
nice yummy blog....different one....healthy too
Padhu Sankar said…
Soup looks yummy and inviting!!
Kanchan said…
inch pinch !! even I love to prepare dinner from nothing .. it gives substantial satisfaction !

I love such not so heavy soups!
Parita said…
Mmm delicious soup! Perfect for me as i love to have soups and salad for my dinner, light and fulfilling at the same time :) I wish we could get soem flavorful oil here as well, I am sure it would have made a big differen?
Yasmeen said…
Nourishing soup,I love such healthy quick fix meals :D
tasteofbeirut said…
That soup looks so inviting even though with temperatures in the high 70s I am not exactly thinking warm soups! Love that beautiful color!
Inji said…
first time reader on this blog.. lovely blog and nice write-ups as well. kudos to you for whipping up what sounds like a delicious meal with a low supplies. So much healthier..