I've been on an airplane at least once a month since August. Some for fun, some for work, but regardless, a lot of time spent in airports. Because it's no secret that I like to indulge while in new cities, I try to keep my airport eats relatively healthy, no matter how tempting Baskin Robbins is! When I was in the St. Louis airport in December, I needed a bite to eat before taking a long flight to Seattle and I noticed California Pizza Kitchen was offering soups. I ordered the split pea and barley soup and was amazed by how good it was...so much so that I immediately googled "California Pizza Kitchen soup" in search of a copycat recipe.
The internet came through for me, and I made a mental note to make it once home again. Because I was striving for something very similar to what I'd had in the airport, I stuck with the recipe I found online, not changing much of anything. The result? Very close to the original! Mine was a little thicker (I didn't measure my vegetables and likely had extra), but I preferred it that way. Although I love the bacon version of this soup, this is a good option for vegetarians. I really like the inclusion of the chewy barley, so maybe next time I'll combine the bacon version with this one!
This freezes and reheats well! It was the perfect lunch to bring to the office!

One Year Ago: Raspberry Truffle Tarts
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Split Pea and Barley Soup
from the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinal

Ingredients:
-1 lb dried split peas, sorted and rinsed
-1/2 cup pearl barley
-2 quarts (8 cups) water
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-1/2 tbsp dried thyme
-2 tsp minced garlic
-1/2 tsp dried sage
-large pinch ground cumin
-2/3 cup minced onion
-1 1/2 cups diced carrots
-1/3 cup finely diced celery
-sliced green onion tops, for serving

Directions:
1. Place peas, barley, water, bay leaves, salt, soy sauce, thyme, garlic, sage, and cumin in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add carrots, onion, and celery to the soup. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Add small amounts of water if needed (depending on your desired thickness). Before serving, discard bay leaves.