Golden split pea soup

Hurray, we did it! After my last day at my job in the UK at the end of November followed by a beautiful wedding Paris at the beginning of this month, we managed to pack up the flat and hop on a plane for our extended vacation in Canada. It still doesn’t feel real that after this holiday we won’t be heading back to London – I don’t think it will until we finally fly out and land in Zurich just before the new year. We’ve been in Ottawa since the 6th of December and so far we’ve had a really nice time with family and friends – from brunching, to birthday dinners, pottery classes and even a truffle-making party! We also just got back from a couple trips – first we drove up to Quebec City to visit family, and this past weekend we flew to New York City to visit our good friends Katie and Chris. It’s been so good to take a longer break and take advantage of the time we have to reconnect with friends and family.

As lovely it is to be back in my native country, the one thing I’ve been finding hard to adjust to is this winter weather – it’s just so darn cold here! Temperatures have been well below zero and I have been spending lots of time by the fire place and drinking tea (I’m actually sitting in front of a roaring fire as I write this post!) Which kind of brings me to this golden split pea soup recipe. Although I developed the recipe and shot these pictures while I was still in London last month, this is the perfect soup for North American winter. I made a batch for my family last night, and even baby Arthur loved it! This soup is mega comforting, super simple to make and is just the trick for those frozen winter evenings. In terms of keeping this recipe vegan, you can use any kind of vegetable oil that you like (I usually go for olive oil). But if you want to go for something a little bit more indulgent and rich, you can swap out the oil for some organic butter. Both options are equally delicious (and naturally gluten free)!

One last thing before I sign off – I have a special announcement for you! I have entered myself in the UK Blog Awards 2019 and voting is currently live. So if you are a Beloved Kitchen fan and like the work I do in this space, I’d love to have your vote! Voting is open until the 24th of December and you can do so by clicking on the red heart next to my entry at the link below (no need to enter any personal info):

https://blogawardsuk.co.uk/blog_award_category/culinary/page/5/

As always, thank you for reading and for your continued support!

-xo KA

Golden split pea soup {vegan & gluten free}

This split pea soup is perfect for chilly December nights. It’s simple to throw together and comes together with very few ingredients. Too keep the recipe vegan use olive oil to soften the onions. For a more rich and indulgent soup, use a nice organic butter instead of oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup | 225 g yellow split peas, rinsed

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 3-4 tbsp olive oil (or butter for a richer, non-vegan version)

• 5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and small diced

• 4 cups | 1 L vegetable broth or water

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp dried marjoram

• 3-4 bay dried bay leaves

• 10 whole black peppercorns

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• A splash of white wine vinegar (optional)

Method:

Heat the oil or butter in a heavy soup pot over low-medium heat. Add the onion and a good pinch of salt, and cook until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the split peas to the pot and toss to coat. Next add the potatoes, dried herbs and peppercorns, and vegetable broth or water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about one hour stirring every so often, until the peas are completely soft and the potatoes have lost their shape. Taste the soup and season with more sea salt and some black pepper, and a splash of white wine vinegar if you think it needs it. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for longer.

Serves 4-6.