Scary Looking Split Pea Soup

I had zero intention of putting this scary looking split pea soup on the blog…. because well, what it looks like. However after making it for a second time in one week because my husband loved it so much, I decided I would do an Instagram poll and see if any of you wanted the recipe. Plenty of you did, so here it is.

Instead of using a russet potato that is in most split pea soups, I used a purple stokes sweet potato. This potato is what makes the soup dark purple in color. (I wrongly kept calling it a Japanese potato in my stories. A Japanese potato also has purple skin but is white inside.)

This potato swap makes the soup richer and sweeter than a typical split pea soup. It tastes really good. I did have to pretend I was eating black bean soup the first time due to the color, but I got over it the second time once I knew how good it tasted.

What does a purple stokes sweet potato taste like and how does it differ from a regular sweet potato?

Besides having a dark purple flesh and skin, a purple stokes sweet potato has a richer, more well balanced taste than a regular sweet potato. It’s sweetness is much more mild. It’s also a denser sweet potato so it takes a little longer to cook than a regular sweet potato.

Scary Looking Split Pea Soup

Makes 4 bowls

Ingredients

• 1/2 small/medium red onion, finely chopped (use a whole one if you don’t have leaks)
• 1 leak, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, coined
• 2.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium sized purple stokes sweet potato or 1/2 of an extra large one, peeled and diced small
• 1 cup split green peas, rinsed
• 1/2 tsp salt to start, more to taste
• fresh ground pepper to top when serving

Method

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the red onion, leaks, garlic, celery, and carrots in a little bit of water for 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add in the smoked paprika, paprika, thyme, turmeric powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add in 4.5 cups water, 1 bay leaf, the diced purple sweet potato, and the rinsed split green peas. Cover and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Once brought to a boil, lower the heat to around medium. Keep at a really good simmer (still covered) for about 1 hour until the peas are falling apart and fully cooked.
5. After the hour is up, stir in the salt. Continue cooking a few more minutes without the cover on, stirring halfway. Any remaining liquid will absorb during this time.
6. Remove the bay leaf.
7. Adjust to your taste with more salt or smoked paprika. Served topped with a little cracked pepper. Enjoy!

I can thank the Whole Foods bag of split peas for this accidental soup mixture. I looked at the recipe on the back of the bag, swapped, added, and got rid of due to what I had on hand. This happy accident happened.

Comment below or tag me on Instagram @herhealthystyle so I can see your purple soup too! I hope you like it as much as my husband and I! #scarylookingsplitpeasoup

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