Split pea soup with a dash of Poppy
i love my sister and i love her cooking.
Split Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions and Spices
This soup is a combination of this soup from Gourmet and this salad from Poppy restaurant in Seattle.
1 cup dried split peas
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups chopped onion
5 TB olive oil, divided
1 teaspoons black or brown mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon ajwain seed (or substitute fennel seed)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, or less for a milder soup
1. In a large heavy saucepan simmer peas and bay leaf in water and broth, covered partially, until peas are tender, about 35 minutes.
2. While the peas are cooking, sauté onion in 3 TB of olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. When the peas are tender, remove the bay leaf. In a blender, puree soup in batches until just smooth and return to cooking pot. Stir in onion mixture.
4. Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat, then pour in 2 TB olive oil. When oil is very hot, add mustard seed. Partially cover the pan to shield the sputtering seeds, then turn heat to low (or pull pan off of heat to avoid burning). When sputtering subsides, uncover, add cumin, ajwain, and chili flakes, and cook for about 5 to 10 seconds—until the spices are a deeper brown and fragrant. Take care not to burn the spices.
5. Immediately pour the oil and spices into the soup. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream.Makes 4 cups or 2 servings
