Fall is here! Fall is here! As a girl from Miami, I'm still getting used to the changing of seasons, but I'm really feeling soup season! A time to start cozying up in high socks, a comfy sweatshirt, and a hearty bowl of soup!
Up first on my soup series is this delicious hit-the-spot split pea soup with Flanken. Split pea soup is the epitome of comfort for me, I just can't resist. My baba makes delicious soup for the holidays with tender shredded Flanken and I typically ask her for Flanken with a side of soup in my bowl. Let's face it anything tender and falling off the bone is a home-run, grand slam in my book. I figured why not combine my love of split pea soup with my love of tender boiled flanken together and create an epic food story. So here you have it my "best of both worlds". By all means you could make the soup Vegetarian WITHOUT the Flanken, just omit it and make it veggies only!
Cook yourself some, pull up a chair, and chow down. Great for lunch, snack, appetizer, or dinner. Freeze the leftovers and save it for a colder day too!
Let's keep you warm. Here's what you'll need.
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add carrots, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Add in flanken ribs, dried thyme, bay leafs, and split peas. Pour in chicken stock and water, stir together.
Pour in chicken stock and water, stir together. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours, until Flanken and split peas are tender and soup is nicely thickened.
Using a laddle, skim the fat that forms at the top of the soup, as necessary.
Remove all of the Flanken ribs from the soup and shred it into pieces, then stir the meat back into the soup before serving. Also, before you put the meat back, you could use an immersion blender to puree the soup to desired smoothness. I like mine chunky, but sometimes will puree it up.
Remove and discard bay leafs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. I usually add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper.
**You could use an immersion blender to puree the soup before adding the tender flanked back in for a desired smoothness. I like mine on the chunkier side, but sometimes I will puree it smooth. I like mine chunky, but you could use a immersion blender and puree until desired smoothness! **
Split Pea Soup with Flanken
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, medium diced
2 pounds flanken-cut beef ribs (substitute: beef short ribs) (Optional* if using)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leafs
1 pound dried split peas (2 cups)
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Add in flanken ribs, dried thyme, bay leafs, and split peas. Pour in chicken stock and water, stir together. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours, until Flanken and split peas are tender and soup is nicely thickened. Using a laddle, skim the fat that forms at the top of the soup, as necessary. Remove all of the Flanken ribs from the soup and shred into pieces, then stir the meat back into the soup before serving. Remove and discard bay leafs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cooks Note: You could use an immersion blender to puree the soup before adding the tender flanked back in for a desired smoothness. I like mine on the chunkier side, but sometimes I will puree it smooth.