Soup Trio: Turnip, Carrot and Split Pea

As that reality sets in that we are getting into the colder months, I find myself looking for more soup and stew related recipes.

From my perspective, one of the real benefits of soup is that most (repeat - most) soups are pretty healthy, easy to make and very filling making them a meal to themselves. I also love that you can make soup once and benefit from it for many days to come or freeze it for use on a later date.

In this recipe, the combination of turnip, carrot and split pea are excellent and highly complementary with tones of sweetness and earthiness. The vinegar splash is a nice finish/garnish for the dish.

For those of you that subscribe to the nothing left behind theory, you can use the turnip greens in the soup. Simply, clean the turnip greens and chop. They will be added at the very end of the cooking process to assure that they remain intact.

Ingredients:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup turnip, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried split peas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• splash of vinegar

Process:

1. Wash peas and (a) soak them overnight in cold water or (b) in hot water for one hour
2. Drain peas and set aside
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until light brown
4. Add the carrots and turnip and continue cooking for 5 additional minutes
5. Add the peas, bay leaf, and stock
6. Stir well, cover the pan, and bring to a simmer
7. Cook for 60 to 90 minutes until the peas are really tender
8. Stir occasionally and add water if necessary
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper
10. If desired, stir in turnip greens 1 to 2 minutes before removing soup from heat
11. Serve with a splash of vinegar