Although you can do the cooking of the dumplings in the soup broth, I don't. I cook the dumplings separately because if one of them explodes, your broth will go cloudy (which is still tasty, but unattractive). It's also better to cook them in a more generous amount of liquid. As far as the broth is concerned, if you have a favorite light (herby) broth that you'd prefer to use here, by all means do so. Just omit the veg. bouillon and substitute your stock for the water. The first time I made this soup I used a ton of chopped chives, the second time I ran outside and snipped some fresh dill from my patio - both were great. Also, keep in mind that some bouillion are saltier than others, you may need to adjust accordingly. Let your taste buds guide you - when it tastes good, you know you're done.
a splash of extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
1 large onion, chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube, crushed
4 cups water
fine grain sea salt, to taste
4 cups cooked yellow split peas*
1/4 cup fresh herbs (chives or dill), see headnotes
16 dumplings (or stuffed fresh pasta equivalent)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. This is the water you will cook the dumplings in. Salt the water generously, as you would pasta water.
In the meantime, add the olive oil, onion, and bouillon to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes, just until the onions soften up a bit. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Taste, now salt if needed - you want to season the broth so it is delicious in its own right, if it tastes flat, try a bit more salt.
Just before serving, arrange four serving bowls across the counter. Add one cup of yellow peas to each bowl. Now place herbs on top of the split peas and ladle one cup of hot broth into each bowl. Cook the dumplings by giving them a swim in the pot of (gently) boiling water . Wait a minute or two until they float, then use a slotted spoon to remove from the water. Place four dumplings in each soup bowl and drizzle each bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle each bowl with a touch of grated Parmesan and enjoy.
Serves four.
*To cook dried yellow spilt peas: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add 3/4 cup dried yellow split peas, and cook for 20 -30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, salt to taste and set aside.
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