East African Sweet Pea Soup Recipes

EAST AFRICAN PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Sauté the onions gently in oil in a covered pot, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are just translucent.
• Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Mix in the ginger, salt and all the spices and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomatoes and sweet potato.
• Stir well.
• Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir.
• Bring the soup to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes.
• Add half of the peas and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until the peas and sweet potato are tender.
• Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of water.
• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth.
• Return soup to the pot, add the remaining peas and gently reheat.

PEA SOUP EAST AFRICAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan heat oil and saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add ginger, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, curry powder and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, squash, chicken or vegetable stock and deglaze pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups of the peas and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes or until peas and squash are tender. Using an immersion blender puree soup in pot. Add remaining peas and reheat. Stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

AFRICAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas, put in soup pot with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
• Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Mix in spices and saute for 5 - 10 minutes more, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Set aside.
• When the split peas are cooked, stir in the onion mixture along with the vegetable stock.
• Add the lemon juice and cooked rice, season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the parsley and gently reheat if necessary.

SWEET PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a soup pot, cook bacon until crispy, remove to paper towels to drain, and reserve for garnish. Add oil and flour to pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add leeks and cook 3 minutes. and add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add peas and cook 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree soup in the pot; or pour soup into a food processor or blender, process until smooth and return to pot. Stir in cream and adjust season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into a warm tureen and serve garnished with and chives.