Split Pea Soup {+giveaway}

Remember when we talked about slop? This is green slop. Turns out Ben isn’t really a fan. Life goes on. I like it, it’s healthy, and most importantly, it freezes well. So your slop can be spaced out, because let’s be real, you might not want to eat it every day for a whole week. Looks aside, this is a split pea soup is a hearty soup that will satisfy you and won’t break the bank. It’s thrifty slop!

What makes this “slop” something special is a really flavorful bay leaf. To be more specific, an organic Turkish bay leaf. One might wonder why in the world you put a little green leaf into a gigantic pot of soup, only to take it out again before eating the soup. One might wonder if you are a crazy person. But then…give them a taste of this soup and they will understand the subtle yet strong (makes sense to me!) flavor that this leaf imparts. It is key. 

These particular bay leaves are from Savory Spice Shop, a store which boasts a huge selection of herbs, spices, extracts, and spice mixes. Virtual Potluck teamed up with them to bring you this project and this great giveaway. I was assigned the task joy of selecting products from the “herb” category. Where to begin? I came away with these bay leaves, Organic French Thyme, Herbes de Provence, Organic California Basil, and Bouquet Garni. With all that, it is probably hard to imagine why I would make a simple pea soup, but I was so impressed with the size and beauty of these bay leaves that I had to give them a try.

Throw one of those into a pile of dried peas and you have a quick and healthy meal. I added carrots, celery, onion, and ham. If you’re a vegetarian, this soup would be delicious without the ham. If you aren’t a vegetarian and happen to have a ham bone lying around (or in your freezer), throw that in and this soup with be taken to a whole new level. If you prefer a smoother soup, use a blender or a hand-held immersion blender to give it a quick purée (before you add the ham).

Split Pea Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
one medium onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced (I like to use the middle ones for soup, with leaves–so flavorful!)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups dried split peas, sorted and rinsed
4-6 cups water
1 bay leaf
8 ounces diced ham
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt, remembering that you will be adding ham later. Cook until onions are translucent and vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add in rinsed peas, water (start with four cups and add more as needed), and bay leaf. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low (a simmer), and simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes until peas are softened.
3. Add in ham and parsley, stir to combine, heat until warmed though. (Note: I add the ham at the end because I find that it gets tough if I have it simmering the entire time. If you have a ham BONE, that is an entirely different story, throw that sucker in at the beginning and let the flavors meld.) Remove bay leaf prior to serving.

Verdict: Warm, hearty, healthy and delicious.
Husband’s take: He’s not a lover of the green slop…
Changes I would make: None! If I’m feeling crazy, I add a touch of cumin. Because it is one of my favorites. Also, leave the ham out if you want to make this vegetarian. It will still be more than satisfying.
Difficulty: Easy!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: One winner will receive Organic Essentials gift set from Savory Spice Shop (pictured above). Everyone in Virtual Potluck is giving away a different spice set, so you have a chance to win 12 different spice sets. Make sure to visit the round-up post for links to each blog.

Update: Giveaway has closed, congrats to Christopher Sorel. Thank you to everyone who entered!

To enter: Go to Savory Spice Shop’s Spice Store and tell me what you would buy from their shop.

For additional entries (MAKE SURE to leave an extra comment for each or they will NOT count):

1. Subscribe to my RSS feed or add your name to my email list (please confirm when you get the email asking you to do so).
2. “Like” Rachel Cooks on Facebook (My NEW Facebook page! Please double-check to make sure you like this one and not my former page).
3. Follow @rachelcooksblog on Twitter (notice my NEW Twitter handle!).
4. “Like” Savory Spice Shop on Facebook.
5. Follow Savory Spice Shop on Twitter.
6. Follow me on Pinterest and pin this post. (If you aren’t on Pinterest, let me know and I’ll send you an invite!)
7. Tweet about this giveaway, using this: “Win a organic spice set from @rachelcooksblog and @SavorySpiceShop  http://wp.me/p1AwA6-Qs #giveaway #virtualpotluck”
9. Go Savory Spice Shop’s Facebook page, click the Virtual Potluck link, choose a spice from my section that you would most like to add to your pantry.

Up to 8 chances to win! Giveaway will close on the 20th of April (Friday) at midnight EST and I’ll announce the randomly chosen winner Saturday morning (4/21). Winner will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Book will be shipped by the publisher.

Psssst: Don’t forget that you can also still enter to win a copy of Food Blogging for Dummies, open until the 19th.

Disclosure: I was provided with spices to use and review, but no other compensation. All opinions are, as always, 100% my own. 

Tagged as: bay leaf, bay leaves, giveaway, ham, herbs, pea, soup, spice set, split pea