Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup- A creamy rich blend of yellow split peas, carrots, onion,  curry paste and coconut milk. Warm up on those chilly Fall/Winter days with this easy, flavorful soup. Only a few minutes of hands on time required. { Vegetarian, Easily Vegan, Gluten-Free}

Fall is here! (well at least in Seattle).  I’ve pulled out my sweaters, boots, jackets and even wore a scarf the other day.  It’s one of my favorite times of the year!  It’s just so beautiful!  Something happens to the sun and the color that it shines , it’s like a golden hue is cast upon everything.  Oh course, Fall also signals the perfect time to put on a pot of hearty (and healthy) comforting soup.

In keeping with that beautiful golden hue of the sun…I give you Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup.

Super simple and oh so cozy and warming. Just a few minutes of hands-on time is required and you'll have healthy split pea soup ready for a hot meal.

You’ll cook up some onions and garlic in a large pot or dutch oven. I’m using yellow curry paste (available at well stocked grocery stores or at your local Asian market) in my opinion it’s worth sourcing out if possible.  Yellow curry paste usually contains so many flavorful ingredients , like curry, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, cumin, coriander, cinnamon  and kaffir lime (or some combination of) that adds so much depth to the soup.  Oh course, if you cant find yellow curry paste, you could always opt to go for simple curry flavors with a combination of curry, cumin and cinnamon (specifics included in the recipe).

Feeling adventurous? Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum actually posted a recipe for homemade yellow curry paste. You can find the specifics here.

Or opt for easy, and order the yellow curry paste from Amazon (affiliate link)

When using yellow curry paste, you should keep in mind that it usually contains some sodium. I like to use a water base with the curry paste when making the soup to keep sodium levels in check . If you are using the individual spices (curry, cumin and cinnamon) you might want to go with a low-sodium vegetable broth as the base. The addition of coconut milk = super creamy, rich, delicious! soup.

Combine broth and  curry paste (or spices) with the yellow split peas, cover  and let cook until split peas are fully cooked and soft (about  50-60 min).

I like to use an immersion blender to blend slightly, so that soup has a thick, hearty, slightly chunky consistency. But, you can serve as you like : no blending = very chunky or lots of blending = smooth consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender  you can also use a regular blender, working in batches. Once you have your desired consistency, you'll add the coconut milk which gives the soup an extra richness.  Garnish with some greek yogurt (optional) and serve with some crusty artisan bread (or pita chips). You'll want something to soak up every last drop of soup!

One thing is for sure...curry + split peas + coconut milk = Fall  Soup LOVE!

*Vegetarian, Vegan (omit sour cream garnish), Gluten-free (use a gluten-free yellow curry paste like Taste of Thai  brand .

Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup

Susan Randall

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil optional
• ▢ ½ medium yellow onion diced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoon yellow curry paste*
• ▢ 5 cups water or vegetable broth
• ▢ 2 cups dry yellow split peas rinsed
• ▢ 1 large carrot peeled and sliced
• ▢ 1 15 oz. can light coconut milk optional
• ▢ cilantro for garnish optional (or pea shoots)
• ▢ plain greek yogurt for garnish optional

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil (or a small amount of water) in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (approx. 5 min.). Add curry paste, water, split peas, and carrot. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook , stirring occasionally, until split peas are fully cooked and soft (approx. 50 - 60 min.) Turn off heat and let soup cool slightly.
• Puree soup to desired consistency with an immersion blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, work in batches. Add back to pot. Stir in coconut milk and heat until hot. Serve and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and cilantro if desired.

* yellow curry paste is available in well stocked grocery stores and in Asian markets. As an alternative you can substitute 2 teaspoon curry powder + 1 teaspoon cumin+ ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

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