I recently tried a split pea soup recipe from Cooking Light, and I LOVED how they used miso paste to flavor the soup. The miso gives the soup a rich, savory and umami flavor. It goes to show that miso isn’t just the brothy soup that you get a Japanese restaurant, it is a wonderful savory flavor enhancer as well! I use miso paste all the time in my cooking, for roasting squash, salad dressings, and even pesto sauce! Because miso paste is made from fermented soybeans, the paste usually keeps for a year! This split pea soup is packed with protein and fiber, so you’ll definitely be able to make a meal out of this. Give thie soup a try soon, and let me know how it goes!
Price of Entire Meal: $10.36
MASTERING MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES
Texture of the peas: The cooking time for the soup depends on how soft and mushy you want the peas to be. I like the peas right when they turn tender, so I let the everything simmer for 45 to 50 minutes before turning off the heat. The peas are still firm so that I have something to chew on as I eat the soup. If you prefer softer, mushier peas, let the soup simmer for an hour before turning off the heat. Alternatively, you can also blend the soup in a blender or use an immersion blender.Type of peas: I used a 50/50 blend of green split peas and yellow split peas here, but you can use all green split peas or all yellow split peas. There isn’t much of a difference in taste.Rinsing the peas: I suggest rinsing the peas only right before they’re ready to go into the pot. Wet peas will stick together into one GIANT clump if you leave them there for more than a few minutes. I learned this the hard way.Vegetarian/vegan option: You can definitely make this into a vegetarian recipe. Just skip the bacon, sub the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and use olive oil to sauté the vegetables in the beginning.Leftovers: The split peas will absorb some of the soup liquid overnight. If I want to make the leftovers into a soup again, I’ll add a bit of water to the pot and adjust the seasonings. By the way, I have spooned leftovers of this split pea soup over toast, and it tasted wonderfully!
If you make this recipe, let me know! Take a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram so that I can give you a fist bump!
