Well Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup

 Welcome 2023! Folklore suggests that lentils are lucky in the New Year. Well, planned or otherwise, 2023 has started with this Well Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup. The soup is deeply flavorful, calm and comforting. In short, it helps me channel in my intended vibes for 2023.  A New Year is that kind of a milestone that allows us to reflect and take a moment. For some it is through making resolutions, for others just taking a moment to pause. 2023 for me is leaning towards taking a pause, and welcoming possibilities. Here is wishing you and yours a wonderful new year! May all that you are hoping to accomplish, seem within your reach.

 

The Story of Well-Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup

The year starts with me still grounded.  Still recovering from the craziness of last week. I also am still carless. Lastly, I need to check in with the doctor to figure out things. A bunch of appointments looming at the second week of the year. This is a quite week of sorts. I am grateful for the company of the young ones. Grateful that I keep a well-stocked pantry that helps me tides these unexpected ups and downs. I have been exploring the joys of Instacart. My initial reaction is that it works but is expensive.

This Soup needs a little planning.

Not unlike other recipes where I use lentils from the scratch, this soup needs a little planning as in soaking the split peas overnight. No different from other from the scratch recipes that I have made with beans and legumes. The split peas married with the steel cut oatmeal. These cook together happily in the instant pot giving you wholesome comfort in about 30 minutes. I like to use mustard oil and if possible, a combination of mustard greens and spinach as it adds sharpness and flavor to the recipe.

Layering the spices

The deeply flavorful spice infused soup gets a lot of flavors from the generous use of ginger and toasted mustard seeds. However, towards the end a second layer of flavor is added on by adding a pop of garlic and black and red cayenne pepper.

How and When to Enjoy Your Well Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup

This soup is perfect for chilly weather or when nursing a cold. Just because it is a soup, it does not need to be boring. Another soup along the same lines is Chicken and Split Pea Soup.

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Well Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Serving Size: 1 bowl of soup

Well Seasoned Split Pea and Oatmeal Soup

A comforting and flavorful soup, with split peas and oatmeal.

Ingredients

    For the Soup
  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 cup shredded butternut squash (about 1/2 pound)
  • 3/4 cup split peas (soaked overnight)
  • 1/4 cup steel cut oatmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely diced (or 1/2 canned diced tomatoes)
  • 1 cup chopped mustard greens
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
    • For the finishing spice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (about 3 cloves) fresh minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro to serve

Instructions

  1. Turn the instant pot onto sauté mode. Add in the mustard oil and allow it to heat until smoking and the instant pot registers hot. Add in the black mustard seeds and wait until the seeds begin to pop.
  2. Add in the minced ginger and the red onion and sauté until they soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, butternut squash, split peas, steel cut oatmeal, powdered turmeric, tomatoes and 4 cups of water.
  3. Turn off the sauté mode and set on 10 minutes of high pressure. Allow the instant pot to complete cooking and release the pressure after 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the mustard greens and the spinach leaves and the salt.
  5. Cover the instant pot to let the leaves wilt in while preparing the tempering.
  6. Heat the remaining oil in a small skillet and add in the minced garlic and look for a minute or just enough for the garlic to turn fragrant and pale golden. Add in the red pepper flakes.
  7. Pour this over the soup.
  8. Add in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro to taste and serve.

Notes

To make this on the stove top, simple cook in a Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot for an hour until the split peas are soft and creamy.

https://spicechronicles.com/well-seasoned-split-pea-and-oatmeal-soup/

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot  and Air Fryer Facebook group. Pick up a copy of my Instant pot cookbook Instant Indian  here, along with The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

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