I’ll be honest, I made the yellow split pea soup ages ago and it was already in the freezer. When I defrosted it for my ‘lockdown lunch’ I thought it was a bit too one-dimensional and boring so I created this pimped up version. Dear reader, it’s a keeper! As the super-hoarders seem to have stripped the supermarkets of canned goods, having nice recipes for dried peas and beans is pretty handy – they are inexpensive, very nutritious and a little goes a long way. Perfect for low-carb dieters too.

This will make enough for 4 generous portions

• 500g yellow split peas, well rinsed
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• A stick of celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of light olive oil
• 1.5 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
• A couple of fresh bay leaves and/or a pinch of ground mace make this taste better but only use them if you already have them 
• Fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (add shredded greens if you can’t get spinach)
• Feta cheese
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

To make…

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, celery and carrot. Cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes until soft.
• Add the mace, bay leaves, stock and split peas. Don’t add any salt until the end. Bring to a simmer and cook on a low heat for an hour or so until the peas are soft.
• Remove the bay leaves and whizz smooth with a hand blender. Add a little more water if it’s too stodgy. Check for seasoning – a little salt and pepper.
• Put the soup back on the heat, add the spinach and just cook through for a couple of minutes.
• Serve in warm bowls, crumble the feta over the top, drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and add some coarsely ground black pepper.

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NB: Always consult an appropriately qualified health professional before adopting a dramatic lifestyle change – we’re all different, what works for one person doesn’t work for everyone.