Winter and soups go together. As do winter and colds and I´ve got one right now. Fortunately it´s not too bad, as I´m still cooking and enjoying my food. Shame really, as a day or two of fasting is probably no bad thing for me.
I fancied soup this morning but didn´t want to wait for hours for stock to simmer. Now that I´ve realised I can buy split yellow peas in our supermarket, I don´t even have to wait overnight for other legumes to soak before cooking. They´re also super healthy, packed with protein and fibre and low in fat. This means they fill you up without filling you out.
As my sense of taste and smell is a little dulled at the moment due to my cold, I decided to make a warming spicy soup to try and wake those senses up a little.
To serve 4 as a main course
- 1 cup of split yellow peas (or you could use lentils) rinsed
- 5 cups of water
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup of minced tomatoes or conserva
- 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato purée
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 piece of fresh ginger (about the size of your thumb) peeled and grated or use a teaspoon of dried ginger
- 3 cloves of crushed garlic
- Salt to taste (but do not add until the soup is cooked)
Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan, bring to the boil then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes until the split peas and carrots are cooked. Season to taste and either eat as is or purée with an immersion stick blender or in your regular blender. It´s good with a dollop of creamy natural yogurt but I prefer a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of extra cumin. Serve piping hot, sitting by the fire.
Chica Andaluza 