Ordering soup is always tricky when you’re vegetarian. Split pea soup is one of those soups that is rarely vegetarian. Most restaurants add ham or chicken stock to their split pea soup, so I don’t have it often.

What I didn’t know is how easy it is to make split pea soup at home. Split peas cook really fast.  Honestly, the hardest part was sorting out the bad peas. This particular recipe has amazing flavor, but don’t skip the croutons. I used french bread for my croutons and they added a smoky note to the soup. I think the croutons make up for the missing ham. The fresh parsley adds a nice, fresh touch.

The recipe was from Everyday Food magazine. Sadly, Everyday Food is out of print, but you can still find all the amazing recipes on the Martha Stewart site. Here’s the recipe for split pea soup.