On New Year’s day, my mother would make a sizable bone-in ham and use the leftover bone to start a delicious split soup. I was never a fan of split pea soup, and I don’t know why. I usually loved everything that my mother cooked.
Last week I had lunch with my grandchildren at a California Kitchen in Las Vegas. And I decided to try their Vegan Split Pea Barley soup and found it delicious. I decided to make Vegan Split Peas Soup when I returned home to New England.

I used Italian Farro, an ancient grain instead of barley, that I love to incorporate in my cooking. Instead of white potatoes, I used sweet potatoes, which made the soup delightful.
Autumn is a time when the leaves are changing, and cool weather welcomes the early mornings hours. Soups are a staple in my cooking repertoire, especially in autumn or winter. I also free leftover soups to reheat for a quick meal.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried split peas
½ cup Italian farro
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 cups water

4 cups vegetable stock
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 sweet potatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the oil, onion, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add the peas, farro salt, water, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, parsley, basil, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer for another hour, or until the peas and vegetables are tender.

Serve with croutons

Enjoy!