Split Pea Lentil Soup – Goodbye Stodgy, Hello Protein

As the chilliness of fall sets in, I love to make and slurp my tasty soups with a piece of crusty sourdough bread. Here we share FFA’s recipe for Split Pea Lentil Soup – Goodbye Stodgy, Hello Protein.

Besides being a taste winner, this hearty soup is easy to throw together and adds more protein while removing the stodginess common to split pea soup. Once you try this FFA soup we know you’ll be a convert! Eliminate pea soup angst and bolster your protein by using a cup of peas and a cup of lentils.

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Split Pea Lentil Soup – Goodbye Stodgy, Hello Protein

Serves 4; Preparation time: 20 minutes; Cooking time: 1 to 10 hours, depending on choice of cooker. InstaPot takes one hour; stovetop or slow cooker takes 10 hours.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup peas (golden or green), pick through and remove stones, wash
• 1 cup lentils, pick through and remove stones, wash
• 8 cups water
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large ham hock or 2 small ham hocks or to make it vegan, use 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley or 1/8 teaspoon dried
• 1/8 teaspoon summer savory
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Slow Cooker Directions – Split Pea Lentil Soup – Goodbye Stodgy, Hello Protein

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or in Insta Pot. (Because I use the Insta Pot because it uses pressure to cook and saves 9 hours of cooking and lots of energy.) If you use a slow cooker, cover the soup and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. After the covered cooking you can create a thicker soup by uncovering the soup and setting the heat to High and stirring occasionally until you reach the desired consistency.

Insta Pot Directions – Split Pea Lentil Soup – Goodbye Stodgy, Hello Protein

For cooking using an Insta Pot, I use the 6 quart Pot and combine all ingredients in Insta Pot and select the Sauté button.

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Once soup is boiling, put on the lid, set the seal to Sealing, turn off pot then turn it back on, select Bean/Chili button and let it go through two of these half-hour pressure cooks. At the end you can turn the seal to vent and check the thickness of your soup. If it looks too thin, reset the Insta Pot on the Sauté setting and let it cook without the top for another 10 minutes or so, to your desired serving thickness. (The sauté setting runs hot so watch your soup closely and be sure to use a screen cover on the Insta Pot otherwise much of your soup will end up on the counter.)

Remove the ham hock(s) from the soup and let cool. Take off the meat from the bone and add back into the soup.

Are you looking for other delicious FFA soup recipes? Find them at the links below…

• Cream of Cauliflower Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Chicken Stock/Bone Broth