We are experiencing a bit of a Polar Vortex here in the Martimes. It is the coldest it has been all winter and I believe much colder than it was last Winter. We need to be taking great care against frost bite when out and about and wearing our woolies!
Thank goodness for central heating, well insulated homes and, dare I say it . . . hot bowls of soup! Yes this is soup weather!!
This delicious recipe Pea Soup Recipe is a recipe that I adapted from the New York Times cooking site, by Sarah DiGregorio. You can cook it in the slow cooker as I have done, or you can cook it in a pressure cooker.
It is delicious either way and obviously it cooks a lot faster in the pressure cooker. In the slow cooker it will take 8 to 10 hours, in the pressure cooker less than an hour. It all depends on how quickly you want it done!
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
I have always felt that there is something very familial about having a pot of soup in the kitchen cooking slowly all day when the temperatures outside drop down real low. It speaks of Home Sweet Home to me.
To me, there is nothing more comforting to come home to on a cold winter's day than a hot bowl of soup, and this is a really delicious version of split pea soup that you are sure to love! Delicious all on its own, but when you swirl in some of that tasty horseradish cream, it adds a really special touch!
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP
with horseradish cream
Very simple ingredients for the most part. There is a bit of white wine called for, but you can easily substitute it with water or more stock, if you don't have any.
- 3 TBS light olive oil
- 1 brown onion, peeled and minced
- 3 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dry bay leaves, broken
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 pound/453g)
- 1 pound (453g)of green or yellow split peas
- 5 1/4 cups (1.3 liters) chicken stock or water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine (if you have none, you can use extra stock or water)
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the horseradish cream:
- 1 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
- 2 TBS jarred drained horseradish
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
If you don't have a ham hock, feel free to use a ham bone. That is what I did. I had a nice ham bone in the freezer leftover from New Years. It had plenty of meat still on it and the bone imparted a lovely smoky flavor to the soup.
You can also leave out the ham hock, or ham bone and just use cubes of smoked ham. Or, for a vegetarian version, leave the ham out altogether, and the chicken stock, and just use a good vegetable stock and increase the smoked paprika by 1/2 tsp.
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
One of the readers on the NYT site used parmesan rinds instead of ham and said it was delicious. I do admit I wish that I had thought of that myself!
You can use either yellow or green split peas for this, or a combination of the two. Yellow and green split peas are a favorite world wide. Not only are they cheap to buy, but they are nonperishable and filled with loads of nutrition! I love them in any way shape or form.
My mom always made pea soup using whole yellow peas and that was also very good. It was the French Canadian style of Pea Soup.
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
As I said, if you don't have any white wine, you can use water or additional stock. I didn't have any white wine and used additional stock, and it was delicious.
You could use plain yogurt in place of the sour cream if you wanted to. DO make the horseradish cream however, as it is a lovely addition and adds a lovely additional flavor into the mix.
I have to say though that the soup is delicious even without it. I put it on last night and let it cook in my crock pot over night and it was perfect.
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP
with horseradish cream
Nothing could be simpler. This is such a doddle.
You will need a 6 - 8 quart slow cooker/crockpot. Combine the oil, onion, celery carrot, garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, broken bay leaves, 2 tsp of salt and a really generous grind of black pepper in the bowl of the slow cooker.
Add the ham hock, split peas, stock and wine. Cover and cook on low until everything is tender, about 8 to 10 hours.
Pick out and discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hock to a bowl and pull the meat from the bones, using two forks. Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and then taste the soup and adjust seasoning as necessary.
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
If you think the soup is too thick you can stir in a bit of warm broth or water.
To make the horseradish cream, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Season lightly as desired.
Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and pass the horseradish cream for topping.
Refrigerate any leftovers. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
This was incredibly delicious. I am a great lover of pea soup anyways, so this really went down a real treat. It does make a lot, but it freezes beautifully.
Just pack it into single or double serving freezer containers, seal, label and pop into the freezer. It will keep for up to three months. Simply thaw out and gently reheat when you wish to eat it.
I, personally, like to have a few kinds of soup in the freezer, ready to eat when and as. My mother always kept ice cream containers of soup in her freezer. Whenever we came home to visit, we could always trust that we would be treated to a delicious pot of homemade soup on at least one of the nights we were home!
.JPG "Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream")
If you are a fan of the dried pea and a fan of soups you might also enjoy the following:
ENGLISH PEA SOUP - Thick and delicious, this soup tastes as old as time itself. It's a real favorite soup in the UK and is also known as "The London Particular," so called after the old pea soup fogs that were prevalent in the 1950's and 60's.
HEARTY SPLIT PEA SOUP -This was always my favorite soup when I was growing up. My mother always used whole dried peas, but they can often be a bit difficult to find. I just use the split and it always tastes pretty good regardless. It requires very little effort and more or less makes itself really.
Yield: 6-8
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Horseradish Cream
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 HourTotal time: 10 H & 15 M
Inexpensive, delicious and nourishing. This soup cooks all day and smells fabulous while it is cooking. If you like you can make it vegetarian by skipping the ham hock and adding additional smoked paprika (1 tsp) and using water instead of chicken stock. The leftovers freeze very well. Don't skip the horseradish cream! It is a delicious touch!
Ingredients
- 3 TBS light olive oil
- 1 brown onion, peeled and minced
- 3 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dry bay leaves, broken
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 pound/453g)
- 1 pound (453g)of green or yellow split peas
- 5 1/4 cups (1.3 liters) chicken stock or water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine (if you have none, you can use extra stock or water)
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
For the horseradish cream:
- 1 cup (120g) dairy sour cream
- 2 TBS jarred drained horseradish
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- You will need a 6 - 8 quart slow cooker/crockpot. Combine the oil, onion, celery carrot, garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, broken bay leaves, 2 tsp of salt and a really generous grind of black pepper in the bowl of the slow cooker.
- Add the ham hock, split peas, stock and wine. Cover and cook on low until everything is tender, about 8 to 10 hours.
- Pick out and discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hock to a bowl and pull the meat from the bones, using two forks. Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and then taste the soup and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- If you think the soup is too thick you can stir in a bit of warm broth or water.
- To make the horseradish cream, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Season lightly as desired.
- Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and pass the horseradish cream for topping.
- Refrigerate any leftovers. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
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As a very small family (read single person here) I have often been tempted to pick up one of those quick side dish packets you see in the shops. You probably know the kind I mean. They involve noodles or rice of some sort and promise to be very saucy and tasty.
My experience with them has been bleh. I don't like them. They are too salty, and they taste artificial. I have always been very disappointed in them. It doesn't matter how much they lower the price; I will no longer part with my money to buy them.
They are horrible, in my honest opinion.
I still want to have the option of making myself a delicious side dish, however. And I don't want to be having to eat it for a full week.
Meet a most tasty solution to the problem. I discovered this recipe in one of those supermarket magazines that I had bought a month or so ago. It is put out by the Taste of Home magazine and is entitled Cooking for Two, 124 recipes sized just right.
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As a person living on my own, I struggle with leftovers and waste. I hate waste and I don't always want to be eating the same thing day in and day out. If you can get your hands on this magazine/book, do! It is filled with lots of delicious options of main dishes, salads, sandwiches, soups, sides, etc. 124 recipes to be exact.
This recipe that I have adapted and shared today is attributed to Kathy Kittell of, Lenexa, KS. Thank you, Kathy. It's quite simply delicious! I could have eaten the whole recipe all by myself!
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
It is beautiful and creamy, and filled with lots of nice flavors. Just a hint of spice from the use of crushed red pepper flakes, which of course you can adjust according to how spicy or not spicy you prefer.
I think it is really quite wonderful, especially when compared to those horrible pasta sides that are available out there. And there is nothing artificial in sight. Only all natural, pure ingredients.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CREAMY BOW TIE PASTA
It may look like a long list, but they are mostly seasonings. I am betting you have everything you need in your kitchen to make this tasty side dish today!
- 1 cup (115g) bow tie pasta, uncooked
- 1 1/2 tsp butter
- 2 1/4 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
- pinch salt
- pinch dried basil leaves
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 2 TBS chicken stock
- 1 TBS water
- 2 TBS shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 TBS dairy sour cream
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
I am sure that this tasty sauce would work with any type of pasta. Malfalda, egg noodles, fettuccine, macaroni, etc. You want to use a pasta that the sauce will cling to.
I used whole fat milk because that is all I have in my house, but she suggests 2% (semi-skimmed) in the recipe.
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
I used a small clove of garlic for this. I peeled it and then grated it on my micro plane grater. It worked perfectly.
For chicken broth I used the type that needs to be reconstituted with water. Boullion powder would also work. I used the Knorr chicken stock concentrate that you can just pour out a few drops and reconstitute with water. It works beautifully.
I used grated Asiago cheese which I had in a small tub in the refrigerator and full fat sour cream. I added only a small amount of the crushed red pepper flakes because I don't like things too spicy.
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY BOW TIE PASTA
This literally is incredibly quick to make and very easy as well!
Cook the bow tie pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse and keep warm. (My bow tie pasta (Farfalle) took 11 minutes to cook to al dente. This was long enough to make the sauce. You literally can have this tasty side dish on the table in less than fifteen minutes!)
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
While it is cooking melt the butter together with the oil in a small saucepan. Add the flour, garlic and seasonings. Cook, stirring, until blended for about a minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk, chicken stock and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook or a further one to two minutes, stirring until slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese and sour cream. Add the drained, cooked pasta, tossing everything well together. Serve immediately.
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
Not only was this really quick and simple to make, but it was incredibly delicious. I could, as I said, quite easily eaten the whole dish of it all on my own. I think you could also double this if you wanted to feed more people.
It was simple, easy, and deliciously creamy. Not too spicy, just seasoned enough. I was more than happy with this and could see where it would be especially nice with poultry, fish or seafood!
.JPG "Creamy Bow Tie Pasta")
Some other fabulous side dish recipes that you might enjoy here on The English Kitchen are:
RUSTIC SMASHED RED POTATOES -These are quite simply delicious. Easy to make and a little bit special. They would make a fabulous side dish for Valentine's day for those who are making a special meal for the one that they love. Sized perfectly for two people.
PARMESAN ROASTED POTATOES -Crisp, buttery and flavor-filled, creamy in the middle. These are a fabulous side dish to just about anything! Once again sized for just two people but very easily adapted to feed more.
Yield: 2
Creamy Bow Tie Pasta
Cook time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min
This quick and easy saucy side is sure to become a favorite side dish. It goes with everything. Fish, meat, poultry. It's rich, creamy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (115g) bow tie pasta, uncooked
- 1 1/2 tsp butter
- 2 1/4 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)
- pinch salt
- pinch dried basil leaves
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 TBS whole milk
- 2 TBS chicken stock
- 1 TBS water
- 2 TBS shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 TBS dairy sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the bow tie pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse and keep warm.
- While it is cooking melt the butter together with the oil in a small saucepan. Add the flour, garlic and seasonings. Cook, stirring, until blended for about a minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, chicken stock and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook or a further one to two minutes, stirring until slightly thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese and sour cream. Add the drained, cooked pasta, tossing everything well together. Serve immediately.
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I was having my father over for supper the other night and wanted to cook him something that was substantial and yet healthy at the same time. Usually he likes beans and wieners, but I wanted to cook him something much nicer than that.
He has hotdogs fairly often and I don't get to have him at my house for supper all that much. I wanted to spoil him a tiny bit.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
One of his other favorite things happens to be hamburger and I just happened to have some hamburger in the freezer ready to use. I thought to do something for him with that.
I had been wanting to make Hamburger Vegetable Soup all Winter, based on a recipe I spied on a page called The Rising Spoon. It looked really healthy and like it was filled with things I already had in the house.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I like to use what I have if I can. I also didn't want to use a recipe which used loads of canned vegetables. First of all, with there only being two of us, I didn't want to make a HUGE pot of soup.
One of the things that appealed to me about this recipe was that I could adapt it to what I thought we could reasonably eat with some leftovers for him to take home.You can easily cut back on fresh ingredients, but once you open a can, its open and you have to use it all.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP
I am sure most of us have these things in our kitchens all the time. If not, you could easily adapt the fresh ingredients to include what you do have.
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 small onion, peeled & diced
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrots, peeled, quartered & thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb of ground beef
- 2 TBS tomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
- 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 sweet bell pepper, cored & diced (I used red)
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz/420g) tin of diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tsp of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 TBS of sea salt or Kosher salt (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 3 1/2 cups (840ml) of beef stock
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 TBS white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sugar
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I buy my ground beef from a local farm market called Goucher's. It is locally sourced and organic free-range beef and is always very lean. You never have any fat to pour away after browning it, and it isn't full of nasty bits like gristle and bone.
Although she specified fire-roasted diced tomatoes, I just used regular diced tomatoes. For one thing I am not fond of having tomato skins in my food. The regular diced tomatoes worked fine and tasted delicious.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
Tomato paste is what they call concentrated tomato puree in the UK. It is very thick. The vinegar/lemon juice and sugar help to cut back on the acidity of the tomatoes, so don't leave them out.
I tend to be quite judicious when I am using salt. All of us have high blood pressure and diabetes so we try to keep away from salt as much as we can. I also left out the crushed red pepper flakes as I was making this for my father, and he hates really spicy food.
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The combination of chopped onion, celery and carrot is what is called a mirepoix in the culinary world. Generally speaking, they are diced very small. For this soup, they are left chunky in order to give the soup more substance.
Never underestimate the power of a mirepoix when it comes to flavoring things like soups, stews and sauces. It is almost like a magic elixir that elevates the flavors of these kinds of dishes and is very common in French cookery.
HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP
This is very simple to make. It does involve a lot of chopping, but if you prep all of your vegetables ahead of time, it goes together very quickly.
Measure the butter into a medium/large pot and set over medium/high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the onion, carrot, and celery. (This is called a mirepoix.) Season lightly, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground beef. Season lightly and cook for about 5 minutes, browning and breaking the meat into small chunks as you go.
Stir in the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for several minutes longer.
Add the chopped pepper, cabbage, both potatoes, the tomatoes and their juices, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef stock.
Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and sugar. Taste the soup for seasoning. If needed, add more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce one teaspoon at a time to balance the flavors of the broth.
Cook for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve. Crackers or crusty bread go nicely with this as does a sprinkle of cheese on top, if desired.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and gently reheated. This also freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I enjoyed my bowl of soup simply with some crisp crackers on the side. My father ate three baking powder biscuits with his and seemed to really enjoy this soup. He had a big bowl full.
I loved that it was healthy, low in fat and filled with lots of fiber. There was not an over-abundance of beef, but I feel that in a soup, that is quite okay! We all tend to eat far too much meat, so I found that quite pleasing.
He did ask me what the cabbage was halfway through the meal. He is not fond of cabbage, but he ate it anyways and then told my sister it was good. I take that as a win!
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
This is soup weather for sure. These cold winter months nothing is more comforting than a hot bowl of soup. Here are some other hearty soup recipes in The English Kitchen that you might enjoy:
Soup with dumplings? Count me in! Especially cheese dumplings. Simple to make and using simple everyday ingredients. It's also a great way to use up what's in the fridge. This is a deliciously hearty soup with plenty of vegetables, ham and fluffy cheese dumplings. I guarantee your family will love this!
A fabulously tasty soup filled with ham and white beans. You do need to plan ahead as the beans need soaking. One word describes this perfectly. Delicious. This is gorgeous ladled into heated bowls and served hot with some crusty bread.
Yield: 4
Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 20 M
This is a delicious, hearty and healthy soup that your whole family will love. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and also freezes very well.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 small onion, peeled & diced
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrots, peeled, quartered & thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb of ground beef
- 2 TBS tomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
- 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 sweet bell pepper, cored & diced (I used red)
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz/420g) tin of diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tsp of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 TBS of sea salt or Kosher salt (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 3 1/2 cups (840ml) of beef stock
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 TBS white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sugar
Instructions
- Measure the butter into a medium/large pot and set over medium/high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the onion, carrot, and celery. (This is called a mirepoix.) Season lightly, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground beef. Season lightly and cook for about 5 minutes, browning and breaking the meat into small chunks as you go.
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for several minutes longer.
- Add the chopped pepper, cabbage, both potatoes, the tomatoes and their juices, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef stock.
- Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and sugar. Taste the soup for seasoning. If needed, add more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce one teaspoon at a time to balance the flavors of the broth.
- Cook for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve. Crackers or crusty bread go nicely with this as does a sprinkle of cheese on top, if desired.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and gently reheated. This also freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
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