Curried Split-Pea Soup

I love soup. I also love curry.

So, one of my co-workers subscribes to about five different magazines. She brings them to work and leaves them in the lunch room with a few of those trashy celebrity magazines that someone else likes to read. What's my point? Well, since the mega-corporation that I work for decided that a subscription to the newspaper is an extravagant expense for our office, I end up reading a lot of home and garden magazines on my lunch breaks. In the Jan/Feb issue of Country Home, I came across this recipe for Curried Split-pea Soup. I was so excited to find a recipe in a main stream magazine that was already vegan! We tried it a week ago at my mom's house and it was a big hit. I changed things up a little because I don't follow directions well. I have a problem with authority. But that's OK. Baking is a science; measurements and method are important. Cooking, on the other hand, is an art. So be creative!

Here is a comparative list of ingredients called for in the recipe and my substitutions. (Follow the cooking instructions found in the recipe.)

Recipe/Substitution

2 14oz cans vegetable broth/32oz vegetable broth (Imagine aseptic package)
1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk/SAME
2 1/3 C dry split peas/SAME
1 bay leaf/2 T dried sweet basil
2 medium sweet potatoes/SAME
1 LB shiitake mushrooms/1 LB cremini mushrooms
1 medium red sweet pepper/SAME
3 green onions/SAME
1 T soy sauce/omitted
2 t curry powder (add more to taste)/SAME
1/4 t crushed red pepper/1 bulb fresh roasted garlic
1/4 C fresh basil/1/4 C fresh cilantro

a new name for the color of my favorite sweater

canned peas, for some unknown reason i picked up a can a while ago. i was searching my cupboard for inspiration last night and came across this lowly can with a label of emerald green. i thought to myself: i love green peas; they would be good in a thai peanut sauce with zucchini and mushrooms over rice. my suspicions began after i opened the can (note: that is not an actual picture of my canned peas, but an exact likeness). the little balls of protein waiting patiently in that tin were not of fresh emerald, but sickly yellow-green. i tried not to give this disappointing color much thought and continued to drain and rinse the peas. then the smell hit me. you know the one, every canned vegetable possesses this scent that is most akin to salad mix that has started to go and is all brown and slimy. again i gave the humble peas the benefit of the doubt. i heated up a pan on the stove and added the peas to warm up. at this point i was starting to lose my confidence in the green goodness. the peas seemed only to be getting soggy and gooshy in the pan. a taste was in order. and then the peas were in the garbage and i had decided i would never again waste my money on canned peas. the taste was completely offensive and the texture was worse. i realized the color of those canned peas was what is referred to as pea green, which has always confused me. delicious fresh green peas are the color of summer and grass and freshness. no, that color we call pea green should actually be called canned pea green. gross.