Healthy Winter Soups: Yellow Split Pea

Dried peas, in the legume family, have excellent nutritional value, including a no-fat good source of fiber & protein. Dried peas also great amounts of four important minerals, two B-vitamins.

And dried peas also feature isoflavones which are phytonutrients whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer.

Fiber: Dried peas, like other legumes, are rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that binds bile (which contains cholesterol) and carries it out of the body. A single cup of cooked dried peas provides 65.1% of the daily value for fiber.

Dried Peas also provide energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar.

From the Williams-Sonoma Library:
Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 1/2c yellow split peas (*look carefully for small stones)
3 tbsp butter (*I recommend Land-o-Lakes light butter with canola oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced (*I add more carrot to my recipe)
7 cups of stock (or water)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger (*This is optional)
salt and ground pepper
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Melt butter in large soup pot. Add the onion & carrots and saute until soft. Add ginger if you choose and stock and bring to a boil, add peas. Simmer 45-60 minutes. Once peas are soft, use a hand blender to puree until smooth or use a food processor.