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!

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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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How to Save Water, Money, and Empower Yourself

Did you know that saving water is good for your pocketbook, conserves a dwindling, precious natural resource, and empowers you? To assure we have enough water to meet daily needs now and in the future, we need to do our share. I'll describe which efforts worked for me. Please try them as well as think of additional ways you can save water too.

First, ask yourself whether you’re for water and take the “WaterSense Pledge.” It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Check toilets for silent leaks (the link below explains how).

2. Twist and tighten pipe connections.

3. Replace the fixture if necessary. 

See more at WaterSense Pledge

Then, look for the WaterSense Label, which is affixed to products that have been independently tested and certified to meet EPA WaterSense criteria for efficiency and performance. Following are many easy ways to save water, so read to the end. After you're through, please take a moment to comment. I'd love to hear whether you're concerned about a water shortage throughout the world and what are your tips for conserving water too. Here's the sign that will appear in stores that sell WaterSense Products.

TOILETS

We recently updated an older model toilet to a new gravity-flush water efficient model. Our old toilet was stained from the hard water we have here in Arizona, and the toilet had started to leak. My husband and I were mindful to purchase a new one that limits water consumption to 1.28 gallons or less per flush and is designed to resist staining. It does the job, reduces water consumption, and saves money too, because low-flow toilets reduce water usage by 40% to 50% a year.

We found out that if a toilet was made before 1991, and you replace it with one that carries the WaterSense label, you may be eligible for a tax rebate from your local water supply company or municipality. The store where you purchase your new toilet will supply rebate information and discuss details about rebate programs in your area. 

By replacing old, inefficient toilets with the WaterSense labeled models, the average family can save at least $110 per year in water costs, and $2,200 over the lifetime of the toilets. Nationally, if all old, inefficient toilets in the United States were replaced with WaterSense labeled models, we could save 520 billion gallons of water per year, or the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in about 12 days. 

For more information contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Helpline at- 1-866-987-7367 or write the Office of Wastewater Management (4204M), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460.

See what makes it easier to pick out a new toilet from Consumer Reports at Consumer Reports Help for Selecting Low-Flow Toilet

WASHING MACHINES

Wash only full loads of laundry to get the most out of water use. Your washing machine water level should assure that clothes are immersed in water and move easily, but goes no higher. When it’s time to replace this appliance, choose one that has a top Energy Star rating. In the long run, you'll save dollars and water. Energy Star certified clothes washers use about 20% less energy and 35% less water than regular washers. They also have a greater tub capacity which means you can wash fewer loads to clean the same amount of laundry.

SHOWER

Convert to a water efficient shower head and cut your showers by two minutes. Even a one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.

DRINKING WATER

Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats running tap water to cool it for drinking. This measure saves 200 to 300 gallons a month. 

SINKS

Be sure to fix all leaking faucets. The water that comes out of faucets in your home or apartment accounts for more than 15 % of your total indoor water use or 1 trillion gallons of water across America each year. The aerator tip of the faucet determines the maximum flow rate of the faucet. If you have an older kitchen faucet, consider getting an inexpensive new, water-effective one.

When preparing fruits and veggies, refrain from using running water to clean them. Instead, fill the sink or a large bowl with water and immerse produce to clean. Afterward, water can go to water plants in your garden and cuttings can be dumped on your compost pile. This can save 150 to 250 gallons of water per month.

"When you're brushing your teeth, turn off water, while you are actually brushing. Use short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. This saves about 80% of the water normally used.” For additional tips about conserving water go to the Water Project Website Water Project 17 Tips for Conserving Water

LANDSCAPE

For home landscaping water needs, remember automatic landscape irrigation systems are a home's biggest water user. To make sure you're not over-watering, adjust your irrigation controller at least once a month to account for changes in the weather and install a rain shutoff device, soil moisture sensor, or humidity sensor to better control irrigation. Create a visually attractive landscape by selecting low-water, drought-resistant plants. Conform to water conservation methods like watering early in the day and plan for water harvesting of rainwater and gray water use.

Here’s a thought provoking article from Robert Brears who eloquently states, “We live in an interconnected world where water and food scarcity will impact us all no matter where we live in the world.” See it at

Interconnected World by Robert Brears

When you take simple steps to reduce, reuse, and conserve water you are being proactive and this is empowering. Help yourself, your family, your country, and the world by doing your part in saving this finite resource. "Water is key to all life and survival." Nancy Andres

The quotation for today follows:

Water is the driver of Nature -Leonardo da Vinci 

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