SOUP - Hearty Vegetable Soup

By RHagan

Ingredients

• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of diced onions
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup barley
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup of dried green split peas
• 1/4 cup of dried yellow split peas
• 1/4 cup red lentils
• 1/4 cup green lentils
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 cup of diced carrots
• 1 cup of diced celery
• 1/4 cup red pepper
• Spices to taste: garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, curry powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (to oil the pan)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sauté onions and garlic together in a little bit of olive oil on medium heat until the onions are fairly translucent.

2. Add the carrots, celery and sauté for about five to seven more minutes.

3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a big soup pot and stir in the yellow and green split peas. Pour the vegetable broth in the pot and stir everything together, adding the optional spices (curry powder, cumin, etc.) as you prefer. Don’t add too much at this stage, as the flavors could become too overwhelming as it cooks. Keep in mind you’ll probably add more spices at the end to taste.

4. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer for about one and a half to two hours, checking and stirring it a few times to make sure there’s enough liquid in the pot. If it seems too thick, add a little bit more liquid (vegetable broth or water works).

5. After all the peas have popped and it looks like a proper thick soup, taste it and add spices to your liking.


* This amount of vegetable broth is an estimate. At the beginning, you’ll want enough liquid in the pot to completely cover the vegetables. You may need to add more throughout the cooking process, especially depending on how thick you like your soup. (The thicker the better, as far as I’m concerned!)