The holidays are over, but the chilly weather still has a ways to go. While waiting for things to warm up, why not warm up with a bowl of this oven-braised split pea soup?
This split pea soup offers a more hands-off approach by using the oven instead of the stovetop. Since no stirring is required, you’re able to spend those couple of hours without having to stress about the bottom burning, sticking, etc.
This recipe makes use of dry fennel, which could be an unpopular ingredient. If you know you don’t like fennel, feel free to leave it out. Otherwise, I strongly recommend at least trying it; it really adds a special kind of flavor. If you want to make this vegan, you can easily sub the butter for something like olive oil.
Even with just an 1/8 tsp of cayenne, this soup can be a bit intense. If you don’t like spice at all, I recommend leaving it out entirely. Also keep in mind that you’ll need to watch the liquid level while it’s in the oven. You’ll probably need to add more liquid to keep things “soupy”.
If you like this recipe for oven-braised split pea soup, consider checking out my recipe for peanut butter ramen. Or, for a more healthful recipe, you can try my crunchy oven-roasted chickpeas.
Ingredients
1/2 lb dried green split peas, sorted for rocks, 227 grams
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, 104 grams
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, minced
1 large stalk of celery, minced
6 cups vegetable broth, + more as needed, 1300 grams for 6 cups
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, 28 grams
1 tsp kosher salt, 6 grams
pinch of black pepper, about 1/4 tsp
pinch of fennel seeds, about 1/4 tsp
small pinch of ground cayenne, about an 1/8 tsp
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350* f (177 c). Melt your butter over medium heat in a large oven-safe pot, then add in your onion, carrot, celery and spices**. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add your garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add your remaining ingredients, stir, and turn off the heat. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 90-150 minutes or until the peas are no longer crunchy***.
If they’re not quite done, try baking them for another 20 minutes. Remember to keep an eye on the liquid level since you’ll probably need to add more broth/water.
Notes
* 350f / 177c is just an estimate. Depending on your oven, cooking vessel, etc, the ideal temperature may be higher or lower. Whatever you need to maintain a gentle simmer is what you should use, so try and find what works best.
** Spices being the salt, pepper, fennel and cayenne.
*** If you’ve cooked them for a long time and they’re still crunchy, they may never soften. I believe older peas won’t soften as much, and I think I’ve heard something about hard water causing issues as well.
コメント