Souping is the New Juicing (+ a recipe)

A few days ago my uncle (Uncle Anthony, lovingly called "Unclee" because of my sister's failed attempts to say the "Anthon" part of his name as a child) texted me this:

The LIRR is the Long Island Rail Road - for you non-New Yorkers. I love that he was trying to keep in the loop on the next big, cutting edge, piece of evidence-based nutrition advice out there; a few Brooklyn hipsters talking about eating soup, soup, as if it were something novel and eclectic. 

While I consider myself a bit more progressive than most, it's rare that I'm the first to know about these nutrition trends. So now when your friends tell you that they heard somewhere that "souping is the new juicing" you can thank me for telling you first. And I can thank my uncle. And he can thank the hippie riding the LIRR. 

Hey, just in case she's right about this, you should go make this soup. It's liquid (like juice!) and has the heartiness of a split pea soup with the flavor that you crave from Chinese food. Oh, and regardless of where it falls on the "trendy" scale, it's loaded with fiber, protein, and tons of nutrients from the broccoli I sneak in there. Give it a try. 

Asian Split Pea Soup

• 2 cups split peas
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 head broccoli, chopped,
• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like spicy)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Toasted sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, green onion (for garnish)

Boil in a pot until peas are cooked. Blend with immersion or regular blender. Garnish with sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil and green onion. 

If you're looking for a spring/summer version of a pea soup, check this out.