Smoky Split Pea Soup

It turns out, you really don't need ham to make a hearty, smoky soup! The important part is the salty, smoky flavor, as is demonstrated in this vegan soup that's perfect for a cold winter's day. It's really important that you use smoked paprika, not regular paprika, for this recipe. McCormick makes it in their gourmet line. (It's also fun to substitute it for regular paprika in other recipes to change the flavor up a bit.)

Smoky Split Pea Soup
Adapted from the book Appetite for Reduction

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/4 cups dried split peas (rinsed)
6 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium)
(The original recipe also called for 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, which I omitted.)

In a 4-qt saucepan or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, salt & pepper, and saute one minute more. Add paprika and thyme and stir constantly for about 15 minutes to toast spices. Add carrots, split peas, and broth, cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 40 minutes or until peas are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving for maximum flavor.

Note: It took my peas about an hour to get tender...and they still weren't as tender as I would have liked, but we were hungry and wanted to eat. Next time I may adapt this to the slow cooker so I can be sure the peas all get really tender.

This recipe makes 5 servings of 1 1/2 cups each.