Vegetarian Split Pea SoupIt’s a gray and rainy winter day. I feel the need to make soup. Notice that I said MAKE soup. not just EAT soup. I don’t want to open a can, dump it in a pot and heat it up. I want to do some chopping and mixing and I want to breath in the smell of onions and garlic as they waft out of my soup pot. Yes eating soup on a rainy day is very comforting, but MAKING it is an act of love. ![]() I did my research on this. I found an article in “Psychological Science A Journal for the Association for Psychological Science” by Jordan D. Troisi and Shira Gabriel titled “Chicken Soup Really Is Good for the Soul - ‘Comfort Food’ Fulfills the Need to Belong.” Their research actually indicates that “comfort foods are associated with relationships and alleviate loneliness.” That’s undoubtedly one of the reasons why I sometimes find myself standing in front of the open refrigerator door looking longingly for something to make me feel good. But today I don’t want to just feel good, I want to be good to myself. My favorite soup to make is Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. It’s basically chicken rice soup with lemon juice and a beaten egg added at the end, which makes it look creamy and gives it a hint of lemon flavor. This is a soup traditionally found in Greek restaurants. I found a recipe in my favorite cookbook “More with Less” which is a Mennonite cookbook that has recipes from all over the world. I’ve made this soup with leftover Thanksgiving turkey as well as chicken and it is always good. My other favorite soup to make is blended vegetable soup. I make this to share with my housemate who is a vegetarian. It starts with sautéed onion and garlic, and then you put in whatever vegetables you feel inclined to add, cook them until they are squishy, and blend it into a creamy concoction with one of those hand held blender stick thingies. I usually use a sprinkle of nutmeg or some fresh herbs to season it. I especially love cauliflower soup. As a kid I wouldn't touch cauliflower with a ten foot pole, but I have learned to appreciate it as an adult. Today, however, I am going to make a pot of split pea soup. A. Because it’s easy. Once everything is chopped up and added to the pot you just sit around and wait until it’s done. B. Because it’s winter. This is not the kind of food I crave during the summer so I might as well make it while it’s cold and miserable outside. The last time I made this soup was at Christmas when I needed a boost from realizing that "Peace on Earth" seemed like an impossibility (see my previous blog "Split Peas on Earth"). Now that the holidays are over and gray days seem to be lining up along with "El Nino," I think it’s time to do it again. C. Because it’s very Scandinavian. My parents loved this soup, although what they really liked was YELLOW split pea soup. I am not going to follow my parent’s version which always had a ham hock in it. I am going to make a vegetarian version. I am also going to put sage, bay leaves and garlic in it, something my parents would NEVER have done as that would have involved using items associated with "foreign" food. I don't remember them using any seasoning other than salt, and maybe some Worcestershire sauce. Making soup feeds my soul. It looks good, it smells good, it tastes good, it warms me up inside and out. It's the food version of sitting in front of a roaring fire. VEGETARIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP
1. Gather together the ingredients and chop the veggies 2. Sauté onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil. 3. Add water, seasonings, carrots, and rinsed and drained peas. Simmer for1 hr or until peas are soft and mushy.
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Leslie Masona woman in search of her post-retirement future Guess what! By subscribing, you get notices about the latest Little Old Lady with Cats posts sent to your mailbox!
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