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
- 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.
- Add in the smoked paprika, paprika, thyme, turmeric powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- 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
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I am only featuring items I love. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you so much for your support! See my full disclosure.