Serves 6 / A chic blend of toasted hazelnuts and cauliflower yields a nutty, rich soup. Serving tip: Great with oven-warmed whole-grain rolls and mugs of hot cocoa.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cup chopped shallots
½ cup sliced celery
3½ cups low-sodium vegetable stock or broth
1 cup dried split peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower (about ½ large head)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, or to taste
Pinch of saffron threads
½ cup chopped hazelnuts
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Sauté shallots and celery for 5 minutes or until shallots are soft. Add stock or broth, split peas, cauliflower, salt, lemon-pepper seasoning, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 35-40 minutes or until peas are tender.
Meanwhile, toast hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant or on a baking sheet at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Add ⅓ cup toasted hazelnuts to soup during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Purée soup until smooth, using a hand blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts.
PER SERVING: 234 cal, 30% fat cal, 8g fat, 2g sat fat, 5mg chol, 11g protein, 32g carb, 11g fiber, 435mg sodium
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