Lentil & Split Pea Soup

This soup comes together quickly and is full of healthy, hearty vegetables and the flavors are so tasty you will be craving leftovers for days!

Shipping Day & Soup

The weather finally cooled down in Texas just in time for our calf shipping day, the pay day for the TY Ranch. We love spending the day with our family and friends gathering our cows and calves the old-fashioned way, on horseback!

I was craving some healthy soup that evening and wanted something quick, tasty and full of nutrition!

The Soup

This soup can be vegetarian & vegan if you use vegetable broth and leave out the bacon fat.

Lentils

So I must confess, I’d never even heard of a lentil until maybe 10 years ago. If they were in our 16 Bean soup my Mama would make I had no clue- so maybe I’d eaten them but just didn’t know.

Anyways, I found out how healthy they were for us and how delicious they were in soups! They come in many different colors. They are low in calories but high in protein (9 g per 1/2 cup cooked), fiber (8 g per 1/2 cup cooked) & complex carbs. Out of all the plant based food, lentils are the highest in folate, which is especially important for pregnant women.

Check out other fun nutrition facts about lentils here.

Split Peas

Similar to Lentils, split peas bring on the bean power with B vitamins (especially folate and thiamin), manganese, and a bodycleansing 16 grams of fiber per cup. When you’re talking comfort food in the cold weather months, it’s hard to find a healthier soup ingredient.

Pass the Bread!

When lentils are paired with a whole grain, they provide the same quality protein as meat. All the more reason to eat this with whole wheat bread or whole wheat drop biscuits!

Lentil & Split Pea Soup

Recipe by Paige MurrayCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

236

kcal

Protein

9

Carbs

29

Fats

10

Fiber

9

A quick, deliciously flavorful soup full of healthy vegetables

Ingredients

• ¼ cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

• 4 carrots, sliced into rounds

• 3 ribs of celery, chopped

• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

• 1 cup lentils

• 1 cup split peas

• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth

• 4 cups water

• 2 teaspoons salt, more to taste

• 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

• 1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen kale, collard greens or spinach (remove tough stems from kale or collards)

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat, optional

Directions

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. This oil will add some richness and flavor to the soup.
• When oil is hot add onion, celery and carrot. Sautee about 5 minutes until onion is soft.
• Stir in garlic and sauté for one minute.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients (except for the kale, collards or spinach).
• Bring to a boil.
• Cover and reduce heat to a simmer and simmer about 30 minutes, until the lentils and peas are the softness you like.
• Stir in the kale, collards or spinach. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer.
• Stir in a tablespoon of bacon fat if you’d like for more flavor!
• Serve with warm, crusty bread!