Happy Monday! Cheers to the start of a new week. I had fun all day in the kitchen yesterday, so I have another yummy meal to share for @lenasveganliving's #fruitsandveggiesmonday contest! I know Lena enjoyed my lasagna from yesterday, but I am bringing some hearty stew to the table that turned out even better than I expected. I know all my soup-loving fruits and veggie pals would like this combination, as well!

Since my farmers market was off this weekend I ended up making the trek to Whole Foods to be able to have a good variety of produce for my weekly meal prepping. I still had a few things left from my previous market visit, so I did not need a whole lot of groceries--just enough to fill everything out. One of the fun things about going for the first time in a while was that I did actually get a few items that I haven't seen at the market yet. Celery root was something that I knew I wanted to look out for as I hadn't had the chance to enjoy it yet this season.

I had a thought of doing a winter white vegetable soup from one of my favorite cookbooks which was one of the first ways I ever tried celery root. Since that was on my mind, I also grabbed some parsnips. Though I always talk about eating all kinds of vibrant colors, white veggies have their place on your plate, as well. These root veggies are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals like potassium and magnesium. I love the flavor that they bring to the bowl, which certainly doesn't hurt.

I still had some kohlrabi and potatoes from the market to fill out the root vegetable roster. As I was starting to get my ingredients together I decided I wanted to switch up my original thought and keep everything chunky for a stew versus a pureed soup. I don't mind creamy soups, but sometimes I just crave a good hearty texture to keep me satisfied. Last week when I stocked up on my beans and other dried goodies I had grabbed split peas for the first time in a while, so I thought they would make a great addition to add some extra protein and a different texture amidst all the other veggies. Do you think I added enough to the pot? 😉

At first I wasn't really sure which direction I was going to go in for the seasoning, but I wanted to try something a little different. Cumin is a great one I enjoy with root vegetables, but I also opted for a little bit of Chinese 5 Spice to jazz things up. It has star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and black pepper. Parsnips have that anise-like flavor to me so the spice mixture seemed as if it would pair well. I threw in some extra fennel seeds just because I love fennel and wanted to make sure it was present. Wow, I was shocked at just how flavorful the broth was! I knew it should taste alright, but this was a truly flavor-packed vegetable soup. A bit of lemon at the end made everything pop, and of course don't forget to keep the greens from the celery root for a nice add in, as well!

Root Veggie & Split Pea Stew

Makes 8 servings

• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled & chopped
• 2 small russet potatoes, chopped
• 1 small sweet potatoe, chopped
• 1 celery root, peeled & chopped (reserve the greens for serving)
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled & chopped
• 3 parsnips, chopped
• 1 cup split peas, rinsed & drained
• 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chines 5 Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1/2 lemon juice

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and saute the onions until softened (about 8-10 minutes). Stir in all of the remainder of the ingredients through the cayenne (reserve the miso and lemon juice for the end). Bring just to a boil, then partially cover and let simmer on low heat for 50-60 minutes. Check to make sure your split peas are cooked through, then remove from heat.

Discard the bay leaf. Take out some of the broth to dissolve the miso in before stirring it into the stew. Squeeze in half a lemon and the chopped celery root leaves. Taste and adjust any flavors to your liking!

Enjoy!

I can't wait for leftovers for lunch as I know it probably tastes even better today after getting happy overnight in the refrigerator. I do so love my giant batches of soup for meal prepping. 😊

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