Purple & Sweet Potato Split Pea Slow Cooker Stew

Well it is looking like the entire weekend here is going to be rainy, and many other places where my Steemian buddies live have snow.  Either condition always makes me want to break out the slow cooker!  Although to be fair, I don't really need an excuse to use either one or both of my favorite kitchen appliance.  There is just something about dreary weather that calls for a steaming hot bowl of goodness!

I'm keeping it short on the commentary today since I've got to get to work then @dksart and I will spend the rest of the weekend celebrating both of our fathers for their respective birthdays.  We are just getting in to birthday season now, so lots of weekends will be spent with family coming up soon!  No complaints, though it does make me even more motivated to cook up really clean recipes during the week to counteract a little extra indulgence during the festivities. ;)

This is another one of those ridiculously easy recipes where pretty much all you do is chop up a few things and toss it in the slow cooker for the day (or overnight).  Potatoes probably rank right behind peanut butter on my favorite food list, but the purple potatoes are extra special.  They not only taste delicious like all spuds do, but they are full of healthy antioxidants that give them that rich color.  Sweet potatoes also carry lots of great nutrients due to their vibrant hue, and I thought the savory and sweet would be a nice play off each other.  It's a pretty simple stew, so feel free to jazz it up any way you like to serve!

Purple & Sweet Potato Split Pea Slow Cooker Stew

Makes 6-8 servings

• 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 12-15 small purple potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 large shallots, peeled & chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup green split peas, rinsed & soaked overnight
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, zest & juice
• optional: nutritional yeast & dijon mustard to serve

Prepare all of your vegetables then place everything through the broth into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Once the potatoes have softened and the split peas are cooked through, remove the bay leaves and mix in your lemon zest and juice.  Taste and adjust any spices to your liking.  I served with a little sprinkle of nooch and a squirt of organic dijon mustard mixed in to amp up the flavor.

*If you want it even thicker take a stick blender to the stew a few times around, leaving mostly big chunks but breaking down the potatoes a little bit more so the starches get released. :)

Have a great weekend guys!