Spicy Split Pea and Carrot Soup

It’s colder today than it’s been in a while and all day at work I was thinking about the Spicy Lentil soup I made not too long ago. To much disappointment, my local grocery store was out of lentils! I did a bit of searching around for lentil substitutes, and the closest I found was split peas. I’ve never used split peas before, nor am I 100% sure what the taste is, so this is going to be an ultimate ‘wing’ it recipe using the Spicy Lentil soup as a guide.

Minor tweaks I made: Add 1 lb carrots and one large shallot to see if it’ll help blend the spices. I held off on 1 of the tablespoons of ginger, and added a second ¼ of turmeric, a dash of time, and a dash of cumin, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable bullion. I also rounded out the tomato count to 2 large tomatoes.

Heat is no enemy of mine, so I stepped it up a bit this time and am going to use a small habanero chili. I’m a little nervous since I’m pretty sure they can be a knock you on your butt type of chili, but I figure I can always dilute it with a little sugar or just use a little more sour cream if necessary.

As I added the ingredients in to the peas after they were boiling for about 30 minutes, I noticed that the peas absorbed the water much more than lentils did!

So, in order to cover the vegetables so let them simmer, I added an additional cup.

Although at first I was a little nervous because the smells weren’t quite the same and the flavor isn’t as spicy as I thought it would have been, I was quickly proven wrong with 10-15 more minutes simmer time and a quick blend with my immersion blender. The orange compliments the green perfectly, and the spicy from the habanero lingers on your lips long enough to enjoy it but not too much that you’re drinking more water than what will fit in your stomach.

I added a dash of garlic powder and some extra pepper, but other than that it’s wonderful! Not too different from the lentil soup, but different enough that it would be a great way to vary a healthy, heart-warming recipe.

2 cups split peas, rinsed

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into small rounds

1 habanero chili, minced

2 tablespoon ground ginger

1 large shallot, minced

8 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon turmeric

3/4 cup cilantro (save ¼ for garnish)

8 cups water (1 set off to the side)

Boil peas until tender.

Add garlic, shallots, chili, tomatoes, carrots, plus 1 cup of water.

Simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until carrots are soft.

Use an immersion blender to puree until about half is completely smooth (5-10 seconds).

(tip: feel free to puree the soup completely for a thinner and creamier soup. Only blending half will give the soup more depth, but will make it heartier.)

Add spices and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Garnish with remaining cilantro.