Pbenjay's Blog

Did you know that in Manhattan all the coffee shops serve certain soups on specific days?  I learned this when I moved here and now I know if it’s Thursday, then it must be pea soup day!  So bearing that in mind, I made some Vegetarian Pea Soup this morning. It bears no resemblance to what would come in that thick crockery cup served within a minute of ordering it.  My soup is thick and chunky and it was delicious and the perfect meal on a night like tonight as the temperature dropped into the 20’s.

VEGETARIAN PEA SOUP

3 TBS olive oil

1 medium-size onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic (I use 2) pressed or finely chopped

1 cup dried split peas

6 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 cup orzo or other small pasta shape

Kosher salt

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, celery, garlic and carrot. Cook till onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the split peas and broth; bring to boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until peas are tender and the soup is thick and smooth.  

Raise the heat to medium-high. Stir in pasta  Cook until pasta is tender but firm, al dente, 7-10 minutes longer. Season with salt to taste. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Pea soup 3 (Photo credit: Dvortygirl)

Recipe from Pasta Verde cookbook