Alison Roman's Split Pea Soup

Name: Alison Roman's Split Pea Soup
Cuisine: Italian, European, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 yellow onion, finely chopped; 5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced or finely chopped, 1 finely grated; kosher salt; ground black pepper; 1 rutabaga, peeled and finely chopped; 1 cup split dried peas, yellow or green; 8 cups vegetable broth, or water plus Better Than Bouillon; 1 bay leaf; thyme; 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped; olive oil; lemon; 1 cup panko, or coarse bread crumbs

7 steps

This is a simple recipe so I will just give you some simple tips: You don’t need a pressure cooker or a ham hock or a soak or hours of your day to make this. This will not be puréed or blended. You can make it with or without pork. A bay leaf really does add *a special something* here, but is optional. Of course I am advocating for the use of Better Than Bouillon, and no, this is not sponsored. Most importantly, perhaps: Rutabaga is a root vegetable, long ago made by crossing a cabbage and turnip. It’s less sweet than a parsnip or carrot and less starchy than a potato, but carries characteristics of both. Despite me never once seeing a recipe that calls for one, they are inexplicably in every grocery store in America, often covered in a waxy substance making them best peeled with a knife, not a peeler.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:01:59 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories326.3 kcal (16%)

Total Fat4.7 g (7%)

Carbs56.4 g (22%)

Sugars12.5 g (14%)

Protein16.2 g (32%)

Sodium1665.5 mg (83%)

Fiber16.4 g (59%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

1yellow onion

finely chopped

5garlic cloves

4 thinly sliced or finely chopped, 1 finely grated

kosher salt

ground black pepper

1rutabaga

peeled and finely chopped

1 cupsplit dried peas

yellow or green

8 cupsvegetable broth

or water plus Better Than Bouillon

½ cupparsley

1 cuppanko

or coarse bread crumbs

Instructions

Step 1

Cook 2 tbsp olive oil in medium-large pot over medium-low heat. Add panko and stir to coat evenly. Cook, stirring often, until panko is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove panko for topping.

Step 2

Add onions and sliced garlic to olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium–high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, translucent and lightly browned at the edges, 5–7 minutes

Step 3

Add rutabaga (or potato/carrots) and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until they are totally tender and cooked through, at which point the onions will have a bit more color on them (a good thing), 8–10 minutes.

Step 4

Add split peas, broth (or water + Better Than Bouillon) and either a bay leaf or a few sprigs of thyme, if you’ve got it. Yes, a bay leaf does do something to the broth! It is NOT a throwaway herb! I will die on this hill.

Step 5

Bring to a strong simmer, then reduce to medium-low. Continue to gently simmer until the rutabaga and split peas are so cooked through and tender, they’re practically falling apart, 40–50 minutes. At this stage, I like to use a wooden spoon to gently smash some of the rutabaga and peas against the side of the pot, just to create a slightly thicker/creamier soup. But remember, this is a soup. It is not a stew. It is not a purée. It is a soup. Soup, by (my) definition is brothier, less homogenized and thinner than a stew. Split Pea Soup. If at this stage you are finding it still too soupy, then feel free to keep simmering until your desired thickness is achieved.

Step 6

Add the grated garlic, stir and season the soup with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls, top with the panko, some of the parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon.

Step 7

Serve with a piece of crusty bread