Dutch Split Pea Soup

Hurray -- I found I had already posted this soup recipe sometime ago. A quick copy & paste, and it's back here for others to enjoy without taking the trouble to hunt for it. Happy soup sipping!

SPLIT PEA SOUP
1 pound dried green or yellow split peas
6 cups water
4 cups chicken or beef broth (I use bouillon granules with water)
1 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped 2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
2 large carrots, peeled & diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of hot pepper sauce

In a heavy kettle or Dutch oven, combine the peas and water. Bring the water to a boil, and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove the kettle from the heat, cover it, and let the peas stand for 1 hour.

Add the broth, celery, onion, potatoes and carrots. Bring the soup to a boil; reduce the heat, cover the kettle, and simmer the soup for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The peas will disintegrate. If the soup seems to be overly thick (and it is supposed to be fairly thick), you can thin it to your taste with additional broth. Stir in the seasonings and serve.

Yield: 6 servings.

I had always seen pea soup as a real production, usually involving a ham bone and starting the day before. This recipe proved to me that it doesn’t have to be that way. You could add a small amount of diced ham or bacon bits if you wanted to, but it is by no means necessary. The soup even has a sort of smoky flavor without them. It is delicious just as it is. Corn bread is traditional with pea soup in New England.

I adapted this recipe from one in Jane Brody's Good Food Book.