Pairing split peas with sweet potatoes is a win win. This soup has a fantastic flavor, combining the hearty split peas, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the addition of sage. It is warming and filling on cold days and high in immune boosting nutrients.
Split peas are a great source of proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are an excellent choice for reducing cholesterol levels, treating or preventing diabetes and maintaining a healthy heart.
Sweet potatoes have important minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium and their natural sweet flavor helps to reduce cravings for sugary sweets.
For the sage, I used my frozen cube method. I love to chop up extra herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays, covered with olive oil. When I cook, I add one or two cubes to my dish at the end of cooking for amazing fresh herb flavor.
In this picture I made frozen cubes of sage, cilantro and garlic. You can get creative and combine a few herbs together.
Saute a medium chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
When the onions turn golden add 1 cup of rinsed split peas, stir well
Add 1 large or 2 medium peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
Add 2 Bay leaves, 1/2 a teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin and pepper to taste, keep stirring
Add plenty of water or broth to cover the peas and vegetables. Add less water for thicker soup or more for thinner consistency.
Cover and simmer for about one hour, until the split peas are soft.
Add a frozen cube of sage, or 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage.
Add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and if you didn’t use the frozen olive oil cube, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into the soup.
Let the soup rest, covered for about 5 minutes before serving.*This soup is great with whole grain toast, served over rice or just on its own.
*You can add a package of fresh washed spinach to the soup once you turn the heat off and let it wilt while the soup rests.
*When cooking split peas and any other members of the bean family, add salt at the end, if you add it in the beginning it will make the cooking time much longer.
Enjoy!
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