Wintertime French-Style Split Pea Soup

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 75 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

This hearty French-style dried split pea soup with potatoes, carrots, and ham doesn't need any soaking, so it's a great choice for a weeknight supper.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 large bay leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 (32 fluid ounce) container vegetable stock
3 cups water
1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
2 pounds new potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
3/4 pound carrots, cut into bite-size chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped lean cooked ham

Directions

1 Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in herbes de Provence, turmeric, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
2 Add vegetable stock, water, split peas, 1/2 of the potatoes, and 1/2 of the carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until peas are nearly tender, about 35 minutes.
3 Stir in remaining potatoes and carrots. Add ham, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, adding more stock or water as needed, about 25 more minutes.