Split pea soup is one of my go-to meals. It barely slides into my "under $1" list; the split peas alone cost $0.44, the onion $0.33. If spices cost $0.03, you have $0.20 left to spend on cheese ($0.04/tsp.), crackers ($0.01 each) and meat. You can read my note about meat below. Hardcore frugalistas can grow their own onions ($0.03 each) or use 1 TB onion powder*** (about the same price), which would easily bring the meal to under $1.00.
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
6 c. broth or water*
1 1/2 cups dried peas
1 c. cooked ham or bacon**
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions:
Put onions, water, dried peas and bay leaves in the pot to boil together until the peas are done; about 30-45 minutes. Make sure you use a big enough pot and/or keep the lid off; otherwise it will boil over. Turn down the heat when the peas are soft and add spices and meat. Serve with cheese and saltine crackers.
*I wouldn't recommend cooking the peas in broth unless you are doing it purely for flavor, because boiling breaks down the gelatin. However, sometimes I will cook the peas in 4-5 cups of water and add additional broth when they are almost done cooking.
**You can omit or reduce the meat if you don't have it on hand. Often times I only put a handful of bacon bits or ham shreds in, not the full amount. The peas have lots of protein, so meat is mostly for flavor. When I don't have any meat, I try to add a spoonful of bacon grease for flavor.
***Using onion powder lessens the nutritional value of the meal (essentially no veggies...). But I've done it in a pinch. If you are like me and haven't reached the point of growing your own onions yet, you can always use onion powder and then serve free garden veggies that you DO grow as a side dish.
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
6 c. broth or water*
1 1/2 cups dried peas
1 c. cooked ham or bacon**
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions:
Put onions, water, dried peas and bay leaves in the pot to boil together until the peas are done; about 30-45 minutes. Make sure you use a big enough pot and/or keep the lid off; otherwise it will boil over. Turn down the heat when the peas are soft and add spices and meat. Serve with cheese and saltine crackers.
*I wouldn't recommend cooking the peas in broth unless you are doing it purely for flavor, because boiling breaks down the gelatin. However, sometimes I will cook the peas in 4-5 cups of water and add additional broth when they are almost done cooking.
**You can omit or reduce the meat if you don't have it on hand. Often times I only put a handful of bacon bits or ham shreds in, not the full amount. The peas have lots of protein, so meat is mostly for flavor. When I don't have any meat, I try to add a spoonful of bacon grease for flavor.
***Using onion powder lessens the nutritional value of the meal (essentially no veggies...). But I've done it in a pinch. If you are like me and haven't reached the point of growing your own onions yet, you can always use onion powder and then serve free garden veggies that you DO grow as a side dish.
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