This spicy play on pea soup is weeknight-friendly, thanks to split peas (which you don’t need to soak) and a pressure cooker. You also can cook this in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, but you’ll need to simmer the soup for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the peas are completely tender. Serve this thick and hearty pea soup with crusty bread. Leftovers are terrific for lunch or dinner another night. The soup thickens as it cools, so just stir in more stock or water to achieve your desired consistency.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups Most Versatile Chicken Stock
- 1 pound split peas
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), for drizzling
- flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Add chorizo to cooker. Turn heat on to medium-low, and cook 7 minutes, or until chorizo renders its fat, stirring occasionally. (While chorizo cooks, chop the onion and mince the garlic.) Use a slotted spoon to remove chorizo from cooker, leaving the drippings in the cooker. Drain chorizo on a paper towel.
- Add onion to drippings in cooker. Cook 3 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add chicken stock to cooker, scraping bottom of cooker to loosen any browned bits. Add peas, water and thyme. Lock lid in place, and bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 30 minutes, or until peas are very tender. Release pressure using automatic pressure release OR carefully transfer cooker to sink and run cool water over rim until pressure drops. Remove lid, tilting it away from you, to allow steam to escape.
- Stir in salt and black pepper to taste. The soup will have a hearty rustic texture. If you prefer a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree soup to desired texture (or transfer soup in batches to a food processor or blender). Stir in chorizo. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with a splash of vinegar, and sprinkle with parsley.
Servings: 6
Note: This recipe calls for dry-cured Spanish chorizo, not fresh Mexican chorizo. If you can’t find Spanish chorizo, substitute another type of spicy dry-cured pork sausage, such as pepperoni, linguisa or even kielbasa.
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