• Cooking Time: 80
• Servings: 6
• Preparation Time: 5
• 2 leeks
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bag frozen petite peas
• 2 cups green split peas (rinsed)
• 2 quarts vegetable stock (low sodium)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
• Wheat croutons (for garnish)
• Salt & pepper (to taste)

1. Take the frozen peas out of the freezer, and put them in a bowl on the counter to defrost. Cut off the hard dark green parts of the leeks and discard them. Chop up the white and light-green parts of the leeks and put them in a big soup pot. Chop up the onion and garlic and add them to the pot. Drizzle olive oil on top and heat up your stovetop to medium-high. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the bay leaf, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the green split peas. Bring to a boil, stir, then simmer for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very tender.
3. Add in the defrosted fresh green peas and continue to simmer for another minute or two. Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender or food processor), puree the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Pour in the coconut milk and stir well. Add hot water, if necessary, to get a thinner consistency.
5. Serve the hot soup in bowls with fresh chopped cilantro and crispy croutons on top.
7. Tip 1: Try adding a spoonful of vegan sour cream to make it extra creamy or to make it more mild if you’re sensitive to spices. I like Follow Your Heart gourmet sour cream. Tip 2: For a dose of extra nutritional benefit, stir in some spirulina or chlorella granules into your bowl of soup. Why not? It’s already green!

Okay, so I am fully aware that pea soup is not at the top of everyone’s list for “appetizing” foods…in fact for a lot of people, it might be at the bottom of that list. I used to think pea soup was just gross looking. I had only tried it once or twice and it was always bland and kinda icky looking. But last month I gave it another try when my favorite place to get soup, Hummus Place, was serving it as a daily special. Like all the soups at the Middle-Eastern restaurant, it was warm, savory, and delicious. The soup was so good it inspired me to make my own pea soup this past weekend. I wanted to know if I could tackle a vegan version and was looking for an excuse to use my new All-Clad Immersion Blender I got for Christmas. Without further ado, check out my spiced pea soup recipe below. I know it’s a funny yellowish-green, but I promise you it’s tasty AND healthy for you!