Hearty split peas and fragrant basmati rice are simmered up with fresh herbs and caramelized onions to create this cozy and flavorful Persian-inspired split pea soup.
I know, the title for this one is a mouthful. I never know what to call dishes like this though. And also, there are so many good things in here — I feel like I have to mention each one! Like, what if someone who loves basmati rice or caramelized onions were to skip by the recipe not realizing what was in there? I couldn't handle that.
There is in fact even more deliciousness than I managed to include in the name. Like the pomegranate molasses that gets drizzled on top. Or the spices that go into this. Or the specific fresh herbs — lots of cilantro, parsley, scallions and mint in case you were wondering.
I actually made this one months ago when the weather was just ready to warm up, which is why I held off on posting it until now. It's loosely based on a Persian dish called ash, and once I heard about it I had to make it, warm weather or not. The original involves meatballs and at the time I was bombarding this site with meatball recipes, which I plan to resume shortly, but back then I needed a break.
I went with caramelized onions instead of meatballs. Authentic? No. But they do have their place in Middle Eastern cuisine, and they go great on top of soup. In this particular soup the savory sweetness of the onions is perfect against the earthy flavors of the soup.
If you prefer to go the vegan meatball route, I can't say I blame you, because meatballs. Better yet, meatballs and caramelized onions? I'm definitely trying that at some point during the season. I think the meatballs from my Italian wedding soup would go nicely in here — maybe swap out the basil for some of the herbs in this soup.
Herbed Split Pea & Basmati Rice Soup with Caramelized Onions
Hearty split peas and fragrant basmati rice are simmered up with fresh herbs and caramelized onions to create this cozy and flavorful Persian-inspired split pea soup.
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Onion Topping
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 cups vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups dried split peas
- ¾ cup dried basmati rice
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- Pomegranate molasses
Instructions
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To make the caramelized onions, coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over low heat. Add the onion and allow to cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until fully caramelized, stirring occasionally.
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While the onion cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and garlic. Continue to sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the broth, peas and rice. Raise the heat and bring everything to a boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, until the peas and rice fall apart, about 2 hours and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Stir in the parsley, cilantro, scallions and mint and continue simmering for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladle into bowls and top with caramelized onions and extra herbs, if you like. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Serve.
Wow wow this soup is awesome so flavorful. My new favorite. Yum
Yay! I'm glad you like it!!
This looks amazing!! I loved split pea soup as a child! I haven't had it since so, I can't wait to give this a try!
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
This was heavenly! I thought I had my favorite split pea soup recipe but is has now been bumped.
Yay! I'm so glad to hear it!!
Loved this! Made it exactly as you noted, even with the pomegranate molasses, which my husband wouldn't even use because he thought it was perfect as is. So easy to make. I thought it was funny that you said to cook it for 2 hours and 15 minutes---why not 2 hours or 2.5? But 2 and 1/4 was exactly right. Such a deep, earthy taste. Filling too---had it for lunch just with some bread and hummus. Thanks to you I "traveled" twice this week---once to Morocco and once to Persia/Iran.
Glad you enjoyed this one! I think I was pretty impatient when this one was cooking and that's how I ended up with such a precise cook time - haha!! Thanks so much!
It was my first thought when I read this recipe that you have to be quite patient... ;-)
It sure does! Make sure you start this one way before you're hungry. :)
I don’t know where a person gets pomegranate molasses, but this was divine even without it. And such a large portion will last me several meals, which is super. Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! I usually buy the pomegranate molasses on Amazon, but it's really easy to make at home too! https://healthynibblesandbits.com/pomegranate-molasses/
I want to try this soup, but Id like to know why there is so much sodium. Did you use store-bought vegetable broth?
I did, and that's where most of the sodium comes from. You can reduce it by making your own or using a reduced sodium broth.
Is that correct? 12 cups broth? Seems a lot:(
It does seem like a lot, but it's correct! The recipe makes a nice big batch, and the broth also cooks down quite a bit while simmering.
I couldn't find where this says how many people this soup will serve.
It serves 8 - right below the cook time. :)
I finished the soup only to find out that my peas weren’t cooked all the way through. I followed the recipe exactly and I’m not sure what happened but I have to throw the whole soup out now. Even tried putting it back on the stove with another cup of water for 30 minutes and it didn’t do anything. Suggestions?
Hmmm...that's really odd and I'm sorry to hear that it happened! After 2 1/2 hours they should have cooked and completely fallen apart. The only thing I can think of is that they could have been a bit old. Older split peas can sometimes be resistant to softening.
Yeah I talked to a few of some friends about it and well I had forgotten they were on sale. It was the very last bag too. I’ve made porridge many times in the past as well so I know about how the rice should look. The consistency and all. The peas should have been right there as well. Anyways thanks for getting back to me. Sad I have to throw out all that food cause I got some bunk beans. Take care darlin!
Hi! Does this soup reheat well? I'm dying to make a batch but since this serves 6 and I'm a single gal...I either need to do a bunch of math to divide the recipe or just eat it all week, and I'd prefer the latter if I can! :D
It does! It actually thickens up in the fridge, which I really like, but you can just thin it out with some water if you don't. :)
Dying to make this! Was wondering if brown basmati rice and white basmati rice can be used interchangeably?
Possibly, but brown generally takes longer to cool. That might change the cook time for the soup, but I'm really not sure by how much. I'd give yourself plenty of time and keep an eye on it. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!
It turned out fabulously! The soup got rave reviews
I haven't made the soup yet, but really want to try it. I am wondering if you can cook this soup in a crock pot?
I'm sure you could, but I'm not sure about how much you'd need to adjust the time. I'd plan on making it on a day when you have plenty of time, and checking it often!
Loved!!!
I was thinking about making this in my instapot. Do you have any recommendations for cook time?
Hmmm...that's tough! Because of the unusually long simmer time I'm not totally sure. You could try adapting the method use for my regular split pea soup: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegetarian-split-pea-soup/ Depending on the size of your instant pot, you might need to reduce the amount of liquid when getting started, then add more to thin it out when it's finished. If I have a chance to try this one in my instant pot I'll update the recipe with instructions.