Split Pea and Parsnip Soup

This soup can be made in a slow cooker or on the stove top. These instructions are for the stove top, as that’s how I made it. If you want to use a slow cooker, I recommend cooking the vegetables first in a sauté pan – this process gives the veggies a layer of complexity you won’t get if you just throw everything in the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of split peas, rinsed, sorted, and soaked
• 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 10 baby or 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery (including leaves!), chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 t Herbes de Provence
• 2 t ground thyme
• 1 t cumin
• 2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 6 cups vegetable broth (or more, if you like a thinner soup)

Preparation:

1. In a large sauce pot over medium heat, sauté the diced onions in olive oil.
2. Once they are translucent, add the parsnips, carrots, and celery.
3. Cook until the veggies are softened, and add the garlic.
4. Sauté until the garlic has softened, and add the herbs and salt & pepper.
5. Add the broth and the split peas.
6. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the peas are soft and at the consistency that you like (add more broth or some water to thin, if needed).
7. Enjoy!

Optional: Puree the soup with a hand blender; I prefer the texture of it with the veggies intact.