Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is one of those dishes you either love or hate. The split peas themselves do lend a rather distinct flavor, but for me, it's one of the most comforting, heart-warming soups during the autumn and winter months here in the Midwest. 

We all know traditional split pea soup contains ham, and since I don't eat meat, it's always a fun challenge to find similar, veggie-based flavor profiles. Turns out, smoked paprika was the ticket.

Serve with crunchy, homemade croutons or a crusty piece of bread slathered in butter. You can't go wrong. Enjoy! -KM

INGREDIENTS ~ 4-6 servings

• Olive oil
• 3-4 ribs celery, chopped
• 4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bag of split peas, rinsed and sorted
• 2 teaspoons *smoked* paprika
• 1 teaspoon McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning spice blend (or similar)
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

METHOD

• Prep all veggies and set aside.
• Rinse and sort split peas to remove any debris, tiny hidden stones or any that are discolored or broken. Set aside.
• Coat the bottom of a large stockpot with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the celery, carrot and onion; season with salt and pepper and sauté a few minutes or until slightly translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so. 
• Add paprika, Montreal Chicken seasoning, split peas and stock. Stir well. 
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low about 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Soup can be eaten as is or blended to desired consistency. I like blending half until a very smooth, puréed consistency is achieved, and the other half a bit less to retain some texture. 
• After blending (unless using an immersion blender), add soup back into a pot and TASTE. Add additional salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, as needed. 

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