Country Style Split Pea Soup

Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1 cupIngredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, rinsed and sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 pound package dried split peas
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• A pinch each of 4 different dried and ground peppers: paprika, white pepper, black pepper, chili pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pork chop, diced
• 4-6 cups water
• Dash fat-free half and half
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Garnish: Pepper sauce and arugula leaves

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a nonstick wok or Dutch oven.
2. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until the onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the split peas and toss in the oil.
3. Add the spices and the diced pork and cover with a lid. Cook until the pork is opaque and browned slightly.
4. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook (covered) for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the peas are thick and very soft. Add more water along the way if needed.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender. Add a little fat-free half and half to make it creamy. For a country style split pea soup, keep about 10-20% of the ingredients not pureed.
6. Add the frozen peas and return the soup to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and serve hot. Garnish with hot pepper sauce drops and a few arugula leaves.

Nutrition Information:

• Serves 8. Each serving has 271 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 42 g carbohydrate, 16 g fiber, 8 g sugars, and 19 g protein.
• Each serving also has 57% vitamin A, 13% vitamin C, 9% calcium and 16% iron.

Bonus Video:https://vimeo.com/195870785PDF Handout: