Soup Sunday

I really love soup. I love making it, eating it, talking about it. I love it. Aside from the fact that I really love hot meals with lots of vegetables that you can eat in a mug (yes, this is actually my favorite category of food), I also love soup because I tend to be sort of a mad scientist in the kitchen. It's true, I took a quiz online. My kitchen persona is mad scientist, which means that I eschew measuring cups and tend to add ingredients as the spirit moves me.

Additionally I really like making soup because it is:
(1) economical;
(2) so easy to make; and
(3) a good way to use up left-over vegetables.

A few weeks ago I decided to instate a new tradition in my humble little abode: Soup Sunday. Every Sunday I make a new batch of soup; I have also been trying to explore new recipes each week as well. This past week I tried making one of my favorites, vegetarian split-pea soup.

Working off a few different recipes, I combined the five elements that almost every batch of my soup contains: carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and vegetable broth. I added these to the crock-pot along with four cups of dried split green peas, lots of black pepper, and a generous dash of cajun seasoning. And then I let it crock-pot for 4 hours.

Split pea soup is one of those recipes where I sort of marvel at the transformation from ingredients to meal. Where once there was a pile of vegetables and peas appeared a week's worth of perfectly-seasoned puree bursting with vegetables and flavor. I will also add that, by my rough calculations, I made 12 servings for around $4 total. Not bad.

Other soups I am hoping to make soon include:

• Sweet potato soup
• Cream of asparagus
• Vegan cream of broccoli
• Cabbage soup, of some kind. I am really itching to start experimenting with cabbage.

Anyway, that's what I've been cooking up in my kitchen!

Also, here is the split pea recipe if you'd like it:

Peel and chop 8 smallish carrots, one medium onion, 4 ribs of celery, and several cloves of garlic. Throw them in the crock pot with 6 cups of vegetable broth. Add 4 cups green split peas. Add black pepper and Cajun seasoning to taste. Set on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally, when you feel like it.

Enjoy!

Boo