This deliciously simple soup has only 8 ingredients, is straightforward to prepare, and results in a bowlful of deep satisfaction and comfort no matter where you sip it. Earthy, herbed, and with a subtle but essential smokiness, this thoroughly flavourful and completely plant based pottage is the perfect eating companion for the colder days of the year.
To get this soup underway, a quick saute of leeks, celery, and garlic provides an ample flavour base, complemented by vegetarian broth, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and freshly ground black pepper. Spanish smoked paprika provides the much needed smoky note that is all too often missing from vegetarian versions of this soup. Once cooked and pureed, the ratio of liquid to dried split peas results in a luxuriously velvety soup that is thick but not stodgy, a complaint I often have about other split pea soups. A final seasoning with sea salt and lemon adds a modestly zingy note of acidity to balance all of the flavours.
The Food Find
The Food Find ingredient that gives this soup its harmonious and unmissable smoky flavour note is Smoked Spanish Paprika, or Pimentón, a time honored spice that has been made in Spain for centuries. Smoked and then ground, Pimenton is a fragrant and powerful spice, full of the sweet and bitter notes of paprika alongside earthy woodsmoke. While other generic smoked paprikas are available, there is nothing quite like the authentic version from Spain, available in three versions that range from sweet to hot as well as an unsmoked version, most often packaged in a distinctive small rectangular tin. Find out more about Spanish Smoked Paprika, where to find it, and ways to use it.
While this soup provides enough homey contentment to add to any table at lunch or dinner time, I’ve recently discovered, much to my surprise and delight, the joys of eating soup outdoors during the colder months. Sounds strange, I admit, but hear me out! Prompted by the sheer necessity of inventing novelty during long Covid hampered winters, I stumbled upon an activity I truly, deeply adore: the winter cookout. While I have lived in Canada since my early teens, it’s taken me quite a while to, shall we say, “warm up” to outdoor winter activities (cue laughter from those that know me). During the other non-winter seasons, I avidly hike and paddleboard, but during the coldest months, not so much. I don’t know if this is a thing that other Canadians do, but the winter cookout is now a family tradition that I know I will enjoy for years to come, and will certainly extend into spring and fall.
Armed with a small camp stove and canister of fuel, a lightweight folding table and a few other camp kitchen supplies, my sidekick and I have been venturing out to various conservation areas outside of the GTA, hiking out into a special spot in the woods, and cooking ourselves up a hot lunch. There is truly nothing like savoring a cup of hot soup and a freshly made grilled cheese, followed by a freshly brewed cup of Malted Hot Cacao, surrounded by the gentle sounds of a nearby river, the quiet of snow blanketing the ground, and the rustle of evergreen boughs overhead. A little bit of pre-trip planning means that the pleasures of a winter lunch al fresco far outweigh any efforts it takes to get backpacks filled and destinations decided upon in advance.
One of the preparations that makes our outings both easy and delicious is cooking up a batch of soup at home a day or two before, so that all we have to do is bring a container of soup with us to heat up in a small lightweight pot once we get into the woods. Each time we plan one of our winter cookouts we revel in locating a new spot to explore, and almost as importantly, choosing the menu for that day’s repast. Our routine is to invent a new grilled sandwich and soup pairing for each outing, and of our recent combinations, Smoky Herbed Split Pea Soup has been a stand out favourite.
Another help in getting things ready for our now beloved winter cookouts is to make up a batch of soup in the Instant Pot, freeing me to do any other needed tasks around the house while my soup cooks safely unattended. I’ve long been a devotee of the Instant Pot, and transforming the process of soup making into a relatively hands off affair is where this widely praised electric pressure cooker truly shines. After the initial saute of ingredients in the Instant Pot itself, and dried peas and broth added, there is nothing to do except let the soup cook away, and when it suits you, blend up the soup for eating or refrigeration. Of course, if you don’t happen to have an Instant Pot, this soup is just as easy to make on the stovetop, and only requires a little bit more tending during the cooking process.
Like all split pea based soups, this soup will solidify in the fridge due to the natural abundance of starches in the peas. The soup will become liquid again once heated, and if needed, a small splash of extra broth or water can be added to loosen up the soup to the original consistency.
A note on broth, salt, and soups
As I often use commercially prepared vegetarian broths, bouillon powders, or cubes to save time, I find that salting the soup before it is done can lead to overly salty results, as many broths and products are generously salted. Unless you are using homemade broth, or salt free broth, make sure to salt the soup at the end of the cooking process, so you can control exactly how much you need to season the soup to your preference.
A note on using and cleaning leeks
Leeks are notoriously dirt laden, with all of those beautiful verdant layers hiding a gritty unwanted surprise unless you clean them most thoroughly. My solution to this issue is simple - I chop my leeks into the desired size, then toss them into a big bowl of cold water. Swishing the leeks around with my fingers loosens the dirt, allowing it to fall to the bottom of the bowl, leaving the clean leeks floating on the surface. To doubly make sure I don’t allow grit into my recipe, I scoop out the chopped leeks into a strainer, making sure not to disturb the dirt at the bottom of the bowl, and then give the chopped leeks an extra rinse under running water. This process only adds a few minutes to the overall cooking process, and ensures uninterrupted, grit-free eating pleasure.
Smoky Herbed Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup sliced leeks, generously heaped *see note on cleaning
- ½ cup sliced celery
- 4 cloves garlic smashed with the side of a knife
- 1 Small handful of fresh thyme sprigs extra reserved for garnish
- 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, slightly heaped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1.5 cups green split peas rinsed under fresh water just before using
- 6 cups vegetable broth/water in combination (I use 4 cups veggie stock and 2 cups water)
- Salt to taste, *see note
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice about half a lemon
Instructions
- For the Instant Pot:
- Add the olive oil to the stainless steel inner pot of your Instant Pot. Set your Instant Pot to the saute function (low or medium setting), and add the leeks, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and smoked paprika. Saute for 7-10 minutes, until the leeks are nicely softened, stirring often to prevent sticking or browning if you are using the higher setting. Add in a few generous grinds of black pepper, the washed split peas, and the broth. Stir well to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Secure the lid, with the pressure release valve set to “sealing”, and set your Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Important note: Once your Instant Pot has completed its cooking time, DO NOT release the pressure manually (as this will put you at risk of releasing boiling hot liquid out of the pressure release valve). Let the pressure release naturally on its own, making sure the locking pin has released and no more pressure remains inside the pot before you unlock and remove the lid.
- Once the soup is cooked and the pressure safely released, remove and discard the bay leaves and the thyme stalks. Either blend the soup while still hot in the stainless steel inner pot, by using a handheld stick blender, or decant the soup into an upright blender to puree when cooled. Puree thoroughly until completely creamy and liquid.
- Once the soup has been blended, add the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding additional salt as desired. If you need to adjust the consistency of the soup, add in additional amounts of broth as needed.
- Make sure to serve the soup piping hot, as pea soups have a tendency to form a skin on the top layer as they cool. Garnish with extra thyme leaves and a generous grind of black pepper. Enjoy!
- For the Stovetop:
- Follow the instructions as above, but instead of using the Instant Pot, use a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven. Once the initial ingredients are sauteed, and the broth and split peas added, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking for approximately 30 minutes until your split peas are tender and falling apart, making sure to stir occasionally. Exact cooking time with dried beans always varies depending on the hardness and age of the batch you are using. Proceed to blend, and adjust final seasonings and garnish as above.
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