Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ginger and Squash

I promise you won't miss the ham hock in this wonderful soup. Remember to soak the spilt peas overnight (drain and rinse in fresh water in the morning). You can use green peas if you wish but I just love the brightness of the yellow peas mixed with the orange flesh of the squash and the green of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley to garnish.

Soup

1 cup yellow split peas, soaked

1 medium squash (butternut, buttercup, kabocha or delicata), peeled, seeded and cut into small dice OR if you don't have squash you can replace with 1 large sweet potato. 

1 dried smoked chipotle chile

1 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, cut into 3 slices

6 cups filtered water

Sea Salt

2 TB olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, cut into small dice

1 TB mirin (Japanese rice wine)

1 TB mellow miso, dissolved in 2 TB warm water

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In medium pot combine spilt peas, chile, ginger and 5 cups water over high heat. Bring to boil. over heat. Lower to simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes or until the split peas are soft and have broken down. Add 1 tsp salt. Stir. Discard ginger and chile.

Warm oil in sauce pan and add onion, garlic, squash and celery. Saute about 10 minutes over medium heat until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add vegetables to spilt peas. Add mirin to vegetable sauce pan along with 1 cup water and cook until all the brown goodness is cooked into the liquid. Add to spilt peas. 

Dissolve miso in 2 TB warm water and add to spilt peas. Stir. Taste. Add more salt if necessary.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.