A soup! This recipe combines many advantages: a seasonal vegetable like the cauliflower, legumes like split peas and various seeds which are perfect for your health when temperatures drop in winter (loaded with proteins, antioxidants and vitamins). While making this soup, I’ve learnt a lot of things on the large leguminous family to which split peas belong. You should rinse them first in cold water before cooking them or soaking them in water (whether they are dry or in a can). Letting them soak in water for a while, will help them cook more easily and will ease their digestibility. Throw away the soaking water and rinse, once more, the legumes before cooking them. By rinsing them, you will eliminate most of the glucides and complex sugars. Advices are mixed about the use of baking soda in the cooking process; I, personally, add a pinch of baking soda in the boiling water. For this recipe, split peas will be quickly cooked and easier to digest. Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower, cut in small florets (approx 500g)
- 1 white onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup green split peas
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 liters organic vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp hazelnuts, crushed
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful flat parsley leaves, chopped
- Guérande salt and pepper
Recipe:
- The night before, soak the split peas in cold water
- In a large pan, brown the onion in olive oil till slightly golden
- Drain the split peas, rinse them and cook them in water with a pinch of baking soda
- Add the cauliflower in the pan with the onion, brown them a little bit and then add the broth
- Drain the split peas; Set aside
- Once the cauliflower is cooked, retrieve the pan from the fire, add the cooked peas to the broth and cauliflower
- Remove some of the broth and keep it in a bowl
- Blend the soup with a blender till you get an homogeneous texture adding more broth if needed
- In a pan with olive oil, toast the seeds; Set aside
- Pour the soup in the bowls/ plates. Top with the toasted seeds and the parsley. Season to taste before serving
Enjoy!