Heart-Healthy Soup

Tonight Larry and I will be eating leftovers.

Yes, I know it's Valentine's Day, and we should be eating a special, romantic meal. That was the plan. I had selected a tofu recipe which includes lemongrass from our beautiful garden. (Tofu is a great Valentine's Day food because it is good for the heart. I served it up a couple of years ago. You can read that story and a great tofu recipe here.)

Unfortunately, in re-reading the recipe I was going to cook tonight, I found that the tofu has to be pressed for 4 hours, then marinaded in the fridge overnight. Way too much work during the work week. So that recipe will be saved for the weekend, and tonight we will be eating soup.

But not just any soup. This soup, which we first ate earlier this week, is full of heart-friendly garlic. Garlic is well known for its ability to lower high blood pressure and tonify the cardiovascular system.  The split peas that form the bulk of the soup are full of soluble fiber which binds with cholesterol-containing bile and escorts it out of your body. They also help reduce the amount of plaque in your arteries.

The browned onion and garlic give the soup an intense flavor even without the use of vegetable stock.  The seasonings are inspired by a recipe in Ruta Kahate's book Quick-Fix Indian. The split peas make it a meal that sticks to the ribs - no crackers or biscuits required.

Split Pea Soup with Spinach
3/4 cup yellow split peas
4 oz spinach
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Rinse the split peas and put in a pot with 3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the peas are tender but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes. Do not drain.

Stem and wash the spinach and slice it thin.

In a 2-quart saucepan, warm the oil and sauté the onion until it is browned. Stir in the turmeric and coriander. Add the spinach and toss to coat with oil. Pour in the dal and its cooking water, and one more cup cold water. Stir in salt, bring to a boil, and simmer about 5 minutes.

In a small frypan, warm the ghee or oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seed and cook, covered, until the seeds stop sputtering. Add the garlic and cook until browned. Add to the soup. Stir and serve.

Serves 4