• 2 cups green split peas

• 6-8 cups water

• 1-2 TB. Sesame oil

• ½ tsp. mustard seeds

• 2 cups diced onion

• 2 ribs chopped celery

• 1 ½ cups diced carrot, yams, or pumpkin

• 1 ½ cups diced turnip

• ½ tsp. turmeric

• Dash of cayenne

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 4 crushed garlic cloves

• 3-4 TB.  Sweet White Miso or Chickpea Miso** (or bouillon)

• Kombu

• Bay Leaf

• 1/8 cp. Fresh chopped parsley and/or sliced scallions

If split peas are soaked at least three hours, the cooking time can be cut in half.  Bring peas to a boil with small piece of kombu and a bay leaf.  Cover and simmer.  Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the mustard seeds.  Add onion and remaining herbs and sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Next add celery, carrots and turnips.  Sauté 5 minutes and add to peas.  Simmer until peas are cooked.  Add miso and simmer five minutes more.  Add chopped parsley and scallion for garnish.  Cook 40-45 minutes if peas are not soaked. 

**Miso comes in many varieties from meaty and savory to sweet and delicate.  Lighter miso (as recommended in this recipe) are more sweet.  Miso is high protein with a trace of vitamin B12; a live food containing lactobacillus that aids digestion and assimilation; creates an alkaline condition which promotes resistance to disease; treats and prevents radiation sickness; treats some types of heart disease and cancer; neutralizes some of the effects of smoking and air pollution.

Substitute bouillon for the water instead of using Miso.  Imagine No-Chicken broth is my favorite.  Rapunzel dried bouillon cubes are another favorite.

Don't like split peas?  Substitute lentils or mung beans.

NOTE:  Adding kombu and bay leaf to beans and legumes makes them easier to digest and prevents digestive gas.  Kombu is a sea vegetable and adds important minerals.

©Deborah Barr, 1985-2010.  All rights reserved.