Split Pea, Beef and Barley Soup

Yeah! My first contribution to Amy's cooking blog. Either I haven't had pictures, or a solid-write-it-down kind of recipe, or the recipe I've thought of was one of Amy's in the first place.

So this soup sounds strange and looks kind of unappetizing-gloppy-green but it is seriously yummy.

The original recipe is from Sunset Magazine January 2007. I've tweaked it a bit.

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. (more or less) lean beef stew meat (I cut mine into pretty small pieces)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 large onions (I usually just use one, the original recipe calls for four)
1-2 leeks finely chopped (make sure you wash them really well)
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups green split peas (one 160z. package)
3/4 cup dried baby lima beans
3/4 cup pearl barley
5 carrots (or equivalent in baby carrots), peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides. Set aside.
2. Add onions, leek, parsnips, celery. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften about 5-8 minutes. Return beef to pot and add split peas, lima beans, and 4 qts. water. Increase heat to high and bring to a uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Add barley and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in carrots and cook 20 minutes more. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.


So, about the veggies... I've done different combinations before. In fact, when I made the soup in the picture I didn't have onions, leeks, or parsnips. I used dried onion, celery, a zuchinni and a ton of chopped up brocolli. It tastes the same. You can cram a bunch of greenish vegetables in this soup. I usually end up with a pot full of veggies, more than the recipe calls for. They all seem to cook and meld together with the peas. I also didn't have any dried lima beans (which are yummy in the soup) so I added a can of butter beans after it was all cooked. There is no substitutions for the beef, barley and carrots though. The soup just wouldn't be the same without them.

Oh, and if it gets too thick, just add water to thin it out a little.