Simple Split Pea Soup

... otherwise known as Empty Pantry Special.
Moving in a couple of days, our pantry is pretty much empty and we're purposely not restocking until we reach the new place. This recipe has the benefit of calling for the barest minimum of ingredients yet has a robust and hearty flavor, and has the added benefit of being a one pot, very low cost meal.

Simple Split Pea Soup

Ingredients
2 cups split peas
4-5 carrots
1/2 cup pearl barley or rice to keep it gluten free (or leave out to make it GAPS legal)
Salt to taste
Onion either chopped fresh, or dehydrated minced onions (optional)
Water

Instructions

1. Cook split peas covered in 3 inches of water for a long time. You can use either a crock pot, pressure cooker, or regular pot. This needs occasional stirring towards the end, so if you do it in the pressure cooker, cook it until it is mostly ready, and then cook it uncovered for the last bit.
2. Boil barley and carrots in the soup. Add them approximately half way through the cooking time for the split peas.
3. Cook the soup until the barley and carrots are soft and the split peas have completely disintegrated into a thick soup. No blender or masher necessary.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Enjoy!

This soup tastes so unbelievable that no one who ate it believed that it had no seasoning and minimal ingredients.
This meal contains protein, vegetables and starch and is  a meal on its own. If desired, serve this with crusty homemade bread.

This post is part of  Friday Food, and Vegetarian Foodie Friday.