Simple Split Pea Soup

Simple ingredients. Adaptable to the stovetop, slow cooker or Instant Pot. So great in a thermos for lunch. Leftovers freeze well. With crusty bread or steaming rice and a simple salad. What more could you ask for?

16 ounces (about 2 cups) dried, green split pea
1 tablespoon olive oil
medium onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 cups vegetable broth
chopped parsley or scallions for garnish

Stovetop:
Soak the split peas overnight or in the morning if you plan to make for the evening. This cuts down on the cooking time significantly. Warm the olive oil in a medium to large sized pot. Sauté the onions, celery, carrots and garlic until soft and translucent (5-10 minutes). Add the rinsed and drained split peas, salt and dried thyme. Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes until the peas are mushy/tender. Add more water to thin out if needed and finish with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley, sliced scallions or a drizzle of hot sauce. We love to serve with brown rice or crusty bread along with a simple salad.

Instant Pot:
No need to soak ahead of time. Place the electric pressure cooker on sauté mode. Prepare vegetables as above. Add the split peas, salt, thyme and broth. Cook on manual for 15 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally.

Slow Cooker:
Again, no need to soak the split peas ahead of time if you are using a slow cooker. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, just sauté the vegetables, add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours (low for 8 to 10). If you don’t have a sauté feature, I do recommend sautéing the vegetable in a separate pan before adding because it really does give the soup a nice flavor.