Minted split pea soup with harissa

Hot sauces Armenian cuisine

Pea soup is one of my favorites. There's something very homey, comforting and enticing about a beautiful bowl made from your grandmother's recipe. If you're like me, it's likely that your family recipe includes ham and several hours in a crock pot. So, when I dusted off some classic pea soup recipes with an eye toward a quick, healthy meat free (and, as it turns out, slightly international) version, this is what I came up with. <br /> <br />One of the key characteristics of a good pea soup is the smokiness from the ham. I pondered several ways to provide that smoky flavor without using any animal ingredients. Liquid smoke? Not an option...how do they even put something that tastes and smells like smoked food in a bottle? Perhaps I'd rather not know. Fire roasted red peppers? Another no...the peppers have too distinct a taste and would likely overpower the delicate peas. Hmmm....rummaging through cupboards...chipoltes? Too hot. Toasted nuts sprinkled on top? Nope..something about nuts and peas together in a soup just doesn't work for me. A jar of harissa spice? YES! That should work nicely!