Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Although many split pea soup recipes use ham for added flavor, this vegetarian and vegan split pea soup packs in the spices, including thyme, sage and bay leaves for a lower fat and cholesterol version of classic split pea soup. Soup is always an easy choice to make in a crockpot. Ingredients:

2 cups green split peas
8 cups water or vegetable broth
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 potatoes, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot or slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours, or until peas are soft. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Yellow Carrot-Ginger Dressing

BLEND…

2 grated carrots – on a box grater

1 tbsp garlic ginger paste – equal parts ginger and garlic pureed smooth with a little water

1 lime juiced

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

½ tsp Vietnamese hot sauce

pinch cayenne

½ c rice vinegar

¾ c canola oil to emulsify

salt to taste

Start with all ingredients except the oils in a blender. Pulse and scrape the blender a couple of times to get the puree working. Then turn on the blender and drizzle the oils( combined in a measuring cup) in slow enough to create an emulsion. Once the emulsion takes hold you can pour at a faster rate. Don’t pour all of the oil too slow or it will be too thick. There is enough in this dressing to bind it, just don’t make it too thick or you won’t like the texture and you’ll miss out on some of the flavor.

-Chef Cleve, Starfish cafe, Savannah, GA