Smoky Vegan Split Pea Soup

For a flavorful fall or winter supper, ladle out steaming cups or bowls of smoky vegan split pea soup. It's hearty, delicious, nutrient rich, yet doesn't contain fat or cholesterol.

Prepare it when you know you'll be home for a few hours, whether that's on the weekend or early in the day. Let the soup simmer on the stove, while you work from home, do household tasks, read, jog on a treadmill, or watch TV. 

This recipe goes a long way. It serves at least eight people, and is so versatile. It's great for lunch, dinner, or even as a low-cal snack. Savor its flavor again during the week. This is a simple way to cut down on meal prep time, save energy, and money to boot.

Smoky vegan split pea soup is an economical meatless meal that tempts your taste buds, as 1 pound of organic dried split peas cost approximately $2.99 a pound. Conventional dried peas are approximately $1.99 a pound. Use the seasonings and veggies you already have on hand, and you can whip up a meal you and your brood will love for pennies on the dollar.

Smoky vegan split pea soup is a nutrition star. It fulfills a big chunk of the daily requirement for protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. This soup is a good source of fuel for your body without added fat. Leftovers freeze well, and eating it when its defrosted and heated prevents food waste too.

One Cup of Homemade Smoky Vegan Split Pea Serves Up:

*Hearty Taste from a Health Promoting Legume that's available throughout the year

*50 percent of the RDA of Vitamin A to help support eye health

*39 percent of Manganese, a mineral that helps maintain strong teeth and bones

*31 percent of B 1 (Thiamine), a b-complex vitamin that helps our bodies produce energy, supports the nervous system, and helps prevent digestive and memory problems

*23 percent of the RDA for B 5 (Pantothenic Acid), a b-complex vitamin that our bodies use to process carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids for healthy skin

*20 percent of the RDA for Potassium to help build muscle and process carbs for energy

*33 percent of the RDA of Protein at 7 grams per serving



*39 percent of the RDA of copper, a mineral that helps incorporate iron into red blood cells to prevent anemia, as well as plays a role to keep blood vessels, nerves, immune system and bones healthy

*Good Source of Soluble and Insoluble Fiber, at 8 grams per serving or 65 percent of the daily requirement. Fiber helps carry toxins out of the body, increases stool bulk, and prevents constipation and other digestive disorders

*A Complex Carbohydrate with approx. 40 carbs per cup. 



* Its glycemic index number is low, but if you want to decrease the glycemic index number further, replace the russet potato in the recipe with parsnip.

Note: Check out this link and scroll down to the section for vegetables to find the "pea" glycemic index number Glycemic Index Chart and Glycemic Load for 100 foods.

*Big flavor, yet is a Low Calorie Meal, at approximately 115 calories per cup

*A Non-fat Recipe that contains Zero Cholesterol

Now, on to the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 pound organic dried green split peas
8 cups water
2 medium chopped organic yellow onions
4 organic chopped carrots
3 stalks organic chopped celery
1/2 organic chopped zucchini
1 small organic chopped russet or sweet potato (lower the glycemic index rating and use chopped parsnip instead)
1 sprig fresh snipped organic basil or organic parsley
1 organic bay leaf
2 sprigs organic snipped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

4 cloves organic garlic that has been minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried organic thyme
1 teaspoon dried organic sage
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (this makes soup taste smoky without having to use any smoked meat)
1/2 teaspoon pink salt
4 teaspoons Braggs Liquid Aminos (or gluten free low sodium soy sauce)
optional ingredients: freshly minced dill, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, croutons 

Note: I always use organic ingredients when available, because organic means produce and seasonings aren’t genetically modified, aren't sprayed with chemicals, and aren't grown in soil that contains chemical fertilizers.


Note: No need to get overwhelmed by the long list of ingredients. All veggies can be chopped in a food processor. To keep additional prep simple, when herbs or spices mentioned above aren't in your pantry, use a substitute. Seasoning blends like 21 Seasoning Salute works well. Avoid trips to the market, and use what's in your house already. Incorporate veggies like shallots, leeks, scallions, mushrooms, red pepper, cabbage, turnip, and other varieties of squash. The more the merrier. When you add extra veggies, it makes the soup taste more full bodied and yummy. 

What to Do:

1. Soak split peas for at least 8 hours in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Use at least 6 cups of water, because spit peas will expand when soaked. Pour off liquid, pick out any grit that remains, and rinse well.

2. Cook peas in 8 cups of clean water on high until boiling. Add bay leaf, minced garlic cloves, and chopped onion. Lower heat to medium. Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add the other dry spices and fresh veggies and lower to simmer. Cover and continue cooking, until peas and veggies are tender and partly mushy (anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour). Don't forget to stir every 10 or so minutes to avoid soup from overflowing or sticking to bottom of the pot. If you decide to add additional veggies, use an extra cup of water for each veggie you include. Season accordingly. Add fresh snipped herbs a few minutes before you're ready to take the pot off the stove.
4. Remove soup pot from heat. Put on a cutting board or other heat resistant surface. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree soup until it is blended to a consistency you like. 

In my house, we like thick yet smooth soup.

Smoky Vegan Split Pea Soup with Smoked Paprika and Basil Garnish

Serve it with gluten free flax seed crackers, or with a slice of toast with almond or peanut butter. At other times, we combine it with leftover rice, quinoa, or barley. We warm it up by pouring it directly into the soup, for a terrific one dish meal.

Enjoy the Homemade Goodness of Smoky Vegan Pea Soup, an unprocessed whole food with no additives or preservatives, no refined sugar, low sodium, and no harmful ingredients added to bulk it up. Your meal mates will be delighted by its lively taste and so will you!

I'm glad you stopped by. Before you go, please take a moment to comment and then pin, stumble, or reshare the post (with my URL link included) on social media of your choosing. Sharing is caring and I appreciate your help in spreading the word about this blog.

Here's the quote for today:

"I live on good soup, not on fine words."  Moliere

Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/soup.html

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Tofu Magic: How to Make Tasty Tofu

Salad with Broiled Tofu from obloggernewbie.blogspot.com

Knowing how to handle and prepare tofu is still a puzzlement to many people. It doesn’t have to be that way. This blog will show you how easy it is to put together a tasty tofu dish, even if you’ve never made one before. Tofu (plain tofu) is gluten free, has only 70 calories in each 3 oz. serving, and is an excellent source of vegetable protein (8 g). One portion contains 6% RDA of iron and 15 % RDA of calcium. Tofu is naturally cholesterol free and bland tasting. A trick to pack it with flavor is to combine it with lots of herbs, spices, vegetables, and seasonings. Sprinkle on spices like chili powder, oregano, or paprika generously to assure your taste buds sing.  

I offer tofu tips and recipe suggestions, especially for those who want an awesome change-of-pace meal, or are moving toward a more plant-based lifestyle. Read on to discover how economical, fun, and easy it can be to prepare tofu dishes you and your family will enjoy.

Transform Meals with Tofu

Lasagna or Stuffed Shells       

Follow your customary recipe, but instead of using ricotta cheese, use organic silken or organic soft tofu for half or all the ricotta cheese. Top with grated organic soy cheese instead of Parmesan.

Wraps, Soups, Chili       

Add pureed, highly seasoned organic tofu or spicy cubed organic tofu to traditional fare to stretch a recipe and be kind to your pocketbook. Substitute crumpled tofu with added spices and herbs for chopped beef, poultry, or dairy in recipes to reduce cholesterol without losing taste.

Flavorful Sandwiches and Salads

Mix chopped firm organic tofu with Sloppy Joe sauce, BBQ, or Old Bay seasoning. Blend equal amounts of organic tofu with canned tuna or crab meat, boiled eggs (use whites only for lower cholesterol), or combine tofu and paprika mashed garbanzo beans. Then enjoy. When making sandwiches, remember to use whole grain roll or bread.

One of the secrets of improving the texture of water packed tofu and heightening its taste is to remove all excess water. Place a brick of firm or extra firm organic tofu on a plate. Cover tofu with another plate and place a weight such as a large can on top of all. Refrigerate for at least one half hour. When you're ready to begin, pour off liquid and follow your recipe. 

Water-packed organic tofu can be found in the dairy, produce, or Asian food case of your supermarket or health food store. It also is offered for sale in aseptically wrapped packages. This form of tofu doesn't need to be refrigerated before opening, has a long shelf life, and is already drained. Prices for organic tofu list from $1.99-$2.50 lb. Figure a portion at 3-4 oz. of tofu per person. How's that for good value? 

Ta-dah! Now, on to my recipe.

Nancy Andres' Broiled Tofu

Ingredients:

1 package firm or extra firm Organic Tofu (approx. 14-16 oz.)

2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 Tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos (gluten free)

2 teaspoons grated fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

What to Do:

This recipe requires advance prep time, but the actual cooking time is only 6 minutes. Early in the day, set up the tofu to drain as shown here and refrigerate. 

Simple way to drain the water out of a brick of tofu from obloggernewbie.blogspot.com

After a half hour or when all the water is drained out of the tofu, slice it into ½ in. slices. Place the tofu in a large container (one where you can lay the tofu slices out flat without overlap). In a small mixing bowl, blend all the remaining ingredients together to make a marinade. Use a pastry brush or spoon to coat pieces of tofu with marinade, cover container, and refrigerate for one hour or more. The longer tofu marinates, the tastier it gets.

My method for marinating tofu

When you're ready to broil the sliced tofu, put it in a broiling pan. Use a pastry brush or spoon to coat the surface of the tofu with the extra marinade left in the container. Broil 3 minutes on each side or until the tofu is lightly browned.

Broiled Tofu, Sweet Potato, and Kale from obloggernewbie.blogspot.com

Serve tofu with brown rice or sweet potato, green veggies, and a tossed 

green salad. Tofu is a complete protein and is gluten free. This recipe 

serves 4-6  hearty eaters, depending on what foods you serve with it.

One fabulous way to use leftover broiled tofu is to place a few strips on 
top of a tossed salad for a quick energy lunch (pictured at the top). Another idea is to put a few slices of tofu on rye bread, add sauerkraut and mustard, and you have a tasty sandwich.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: In the United States, almost all tofu that is not marked non-GMO or organic is genetically modified. Genetically Modified seeds have their genes manipulated, changed, and put into other species that normally they would not grow in. Incredible results have been produced. Some include mutations, diseases, abnormalities and trigger other diseases that otherwise may have remained dormant. Little testing has been done on the health effects of humans ingesting and using genetically modified products. Tests that have been done on animals that naturally refuse to eat Genetically Modified feed, but are being force-fed the Genetically Modified feed, develop lesions, abnormalities, disease…and some have died.

Following is information from Green America about soy products. I have obtained permission to quote them.

"Soy Has Been Genetically Modified since 1996

How widespread: 94 percent of the US soybean crop was genetically modified in 2011, according to the USDA.

What to watch for: Soybeans show up in many traditional (i.e. not organic) soy products, such as tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, miso, and tempeh, as well as any product containing the emulsifier lecithin (often derived from soybean oil), such as ice cream and candy." Green America Website

Do you already make tofu part of your eating plan? If you have a favorite recipe or tofu tips, won't you share it with my readers and me? Comment in the area provided below please.

Spreading the word about this post on social media is greatly appreciated!

The quotation for today follows: "We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are." Adelle Davis

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