Vegan yellow split pea soup with garlic dill croutons (Ärtsoppa)
I feel so fortunate for the close friends I’ve made through taking voice lessons in San Francisco. If you told me a year ago that the same friends I go to open mic nights with would be sous-cheffing and front-of-the-housing with me at food pop-ups on a Friday night (Liz and Pablo are angels!) - I would have told you you’re crazy. And if they’re not working with me, you better bet they’re coming out every time to eat my food. I’m looking at you, Anna! Anyway, I served this soup at a pop up recently and wasn’t sure how it would be received - soup at a wine bar? And without the traditional ham it usually has? Maybe I’d made a mistake.
Luckily, it was a HUGE hit (maybe thanks to Pablo’s husband buying a few soup rounds for patrons at the wine bar - MJ, we don’t deserve you) and I knew I had to share the recipe with you all! Pablo took home the leftovers when I had realized I never snapped a photo of said soup, but true to form, Pablo was happy to document his meal for me upon request. Without further ado, here’s the recipe!
Soup instructions:
In a medium-sized, heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until warm
Add 1 large yellow onion, 1 rib of celery, and 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Peel and chop a large knob of fresh ginger, and add about 3 (1 inch) pieces to the pot
Season with salt and black pepper and let come together until soft, about 5-7 minutes
Add 2.5 cups of yellow split peas (or about 1 lb) to the pot and bring together
Add 8 cups of veggie stock (I use Better Than Bouillon - Vegetable flavor) and 1 bay leaf and bring to a simmer
Cover and keep above a simmer for about 90 minutes - stirring every 30 minutes
Taste the soup, and if the split peas still need more time, add in 15-minute increments - also, feel free to adjust liquid levels by adding more liquid if needed
When the soup is finished, it’s optional to use an immersion blender to blend the soup about 50% (be careful, this happens quickly!) - I find this makes the texture more even and also takes care of any peas that are still undercooked. If you don’t have an immersion blender, skip this step. A traditional blender would be too much!
Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the soup, and continue to season with salt and pepper until you’re happy with it!
Let cool and store in the fridge for up to 5 days
Garlic dill croutons:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Start with a loaf of bread of your choice (ideally in a baguette or round form - I went with local sourdough from Rize Up Bakery in San Francisco) and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Generously season your bread cubes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 2 tsp dried dill
Spread out evenly onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, stir/flip around, and then bake for another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them at the end and do a taste test to make sure they’re at the crunch level you’re looking for!
Remove from oven, let cool, and store in an airtight container for up to one week
Assembly:
Serve soup with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream, and a little bit of grainy brown mustard
Top with croutons, enjoy! 🍓
