Recipe Review: Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup with Spinach

Submitted By Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited By Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 ½ tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp curry powder

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cayenne

2 cups dried split yellow peas

1 ½ cups fresh spinach, shredded

½ tsp salt

Instructions:

1.     In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes.

2.     Add ginger, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne.  Cook, stirring, 1 minute to toast the spices. 

3.     Add the split peas and 8 cups of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until split peas are soft, about 45 minutes.

4.     Add spinach and salt.  Cook until spinach wilts, about 1-2 minutes.  Soup will thicken upon standing.  Add additional water to thin as desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrient Facts:

203 calories, 12 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 12 g fiber

37 mg calcium, 581 mg potassium, 156 mg sodium, 2 mg iron, 59 mg magnesium

39 mcg vitamin A, 5 mg vitamin C, 1 mg vitamin E, 45 mg vitamin K, 106 mcg folate

This recipe is quick, easy, and excellent for a cold winter night!  It is flavorful and satisfying but low in calories and fat, making it a great option if you are looking to keep your energy intake low.  My family found it delicious – everyone asked me for a copy of the recipe!  I doubled the amount each spice, but you could definitely use less if you prefer a milder meal.  You could also consider personalizing the soup by adding some cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms, winter squash, or kale about halfway through the step of simmering the split peas.  I recommend doing this if you’re thinking of making this a one-pot dinner, since the original recipe doesn’t call for many vegetables.

You don’t have to plan very far ahead to make this recipe.  Depending on how stocked your spice cabinet is, you probably have almost all of the ingredients in your pantry already, and you’ll only have to chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and spinach.  I would suggest chopping the garlic, onion, and ginger before you start cooking so you can sauté everything immediately without worrying that it will burn while you are chopping the next ingredient.  Once you add water the soup needs to simmer for about 45 minutes, which will allow you plenty of time to chop the spinach, prepare a side dish or just relax before eating. 

I served this dish with brown rice and steamed broccoli to give the meal some extra color and texture.  My family loved the way the brown rice complemented the soup.  The rice also boosts the meal’s protein content a little, providing the essential amino acids that are missing from the split peas to create a complete protein.

If you aren’t used to cooking with yellow split peas, you can find them in the same aisle as canned beans in your grocery store.  Yellow split peas are a relatively inexpensive and nutritious source of protein.  They’re high in folate, a vitamin that helps keep your immune system strong and your heart healthy.  They’re also high in fructans, a type of fiber that promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria.  Overall, this is a nourishing meal that is sure to become a go-to on those busy days when you aren’t sure what to have for dinner.

Recipe Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/curried-yellow-split-pea-soup-with-spinach-206923