Spiced Split Pea Soup

Two weeks out. I've started the birthday prep in the way I start anything: with a list, with a timeline, with more planning than is strictly required for a one-year-old's birthday party who will have no memory of it. I know he won't remember it. I'm not doing it for him to remember. I'm doing it so that someday, when he's old enough to look at photos and ask "what was my first birthday like," the answer is: it looked like you were loved. The photos will show that.

We're doing it at my parents' house because it fits more people. Both families, a few of our friends with kids, Meghan and Cormac—who are six weeks from their due date now, Meghan enormous and cheerful and still making food for other people, which is her particular relationship with generosity. I've told her not to bring anything. She's bringing something. I have accepted this.

Liam has fourteen words now. I've been writing them down because the pediatrician asked and because I wanted the record. Da, ma, ba, more, no (deployed with enthusiasm), hi, bye, dog, up, down, ball, go, eat, done. He uses "done" with his arms out, palms up, a gesture he learned from the high chair routine, and it is the most complete sentence I've encountered in any language: Done. Finished. We move on. I respect it.

Made a big pot of lamb stew on Sunday for St. Patrick's Day week, which I try to acknowledge with something real rather than dyed beer and performative Irishness. The stew is from Maureen's recipe. It's become mine now too. That happens with recipes you make enough times.

The lamb stew was Maureen’s, and it’s become mine, but this spiced split pea soup is what I reach for when the pot needs to be big and the week needs to feel anchored — same spirit, same idea of feeding people something that takes a little time and means it. St. Patrick’s Day week deserves a real pot on the stove, and this one delivers exactly that: warming, spiced just enough, the kind of thing that fills the house with a smell that makes everything feel organized and calm, which is exactly the energy I was running on.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb dried green split peas, rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5–6 minutes until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add vegetables and spices. Stir in carrots, celery, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, and cayenne if using. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the spices bloom.
Add peas and broth. Pour in the broth and add the rinsed split peas and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer.
Simmer low and slow. Cook uncovered for 60–75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas have completely broken down and the soup is thick and creamy. Remove the bay leaf.
Season and finish. Stir in lemon juice and season generously with salt and black pepper. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add broth or water a splash at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Pairs well with crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spiced Split Pea Soup — The Pot You Make Because Some Traditions Deserve a Real Meal