Tag Archives: fall

Split Pea Soup

I think this split pea soup is the very soup about which was written:

Pea porridge hot, pea porridge cold, pea porridge in the pot nine days old.

After an hour on the stove, it gains a thick consistency, like a porridge. And the quantity of soup produced is so large that I definitely understand how it could sit around for 9 days. Ours sat around for at least 6–though in the fridge, mind you. And in a nice airtight container, for those concerned.

In her original recipe, Tracy says you can use bacon or ham, but I’m completely advocating the use of ham. Because the bacon, after simmering for an hour, is bound to get floppy–and who likes floppy bacon? The chunks of ham are totally satisfying and delicious. Troist me. This is a great comforting soup with awesome flavor, and very little prep work.

The ultimate test: the man of the house. He said (and I quote):

“Why don’t we eat things like this all the time?”

Bless his ever-loving soul. I love it when he says that.

And it’s a good thing he loved it, since we ate this soup all week long and it yielded no less than 4 meals for the two of us–plus a little extra for some hungry members of our Bible study.

Ingredients

( Serves 8 )

2 sweet potatoes or yams, or 1/2 butternut squash
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
2-3 cups ham cut into 1″ pieces
8 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
16 oz dried split peas
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1 TBS dried sage
1 TBS fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Before we jump in, I must explain that my flash temporarily decided to be broken. I switched out batteries a few times, prodded it, swiveled it around–but it would not work. The lighting in my kitchen is very bad, but I was also very hungry and not willing to waste any more time messing with the flash, so I gritted my teeth and took some very bad pictures. Bad light . . . bad focus . . . bad color balance. Man, I’d really grown dependent on that flash unit for my food photography.

Anyway–less about Mr. Speedlight SB-600 and more about the veggies at hand!

Peel the sweet potatoes or yams, and chop ’em up (along with the carrots for OrangeFest 2011) into smallish cubes.

Dice the onion and celery . . .

. . . and cut the ham into 1” cubes.

Dice the basil and pretend I took a picture.

Thoroughly rinse and clean the split peas.

Combine all the ingredients in a very large pot.

Oooh, a shred of light is coming through the window!

It’s the first decent picture of the lot.

Don’t forget the herbs and spices, along with a generous amount of salt and pepper!

Bring to a boil over medium high heat . . .

. . . and rejoice that your flash suddenly decided to work again!

Once the soup boils, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer it for about an hour, stirring a couple times to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and creating a layer of burnination. Remove the cover of the pot during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve hot!

You can also freeze it within 5 days. Or hope for the best and polish it off on day 6.

A note: the soup looks a little watery here, but after a night in the fridge it was so thick it definitely qualified as ‘porridge.’

It was so good that after eating it all week long, by the time I scooped up the very last spoonfuls from the very last bowl, I was actually disappointed.

I actually started plotting when I could make it again.

True story.

I think you guys will love this one!

Click here for printer-friendly version: Split Pea Soup

An ode to soups

An ode to soups

I like the summer very much
with berries fresh and icy punch
but what I miss the most of all
is bowls of soup that come with fall

I want to eat them all today
I’ll gain two tons and roll away
But even though my gut will pay
I’ll be so happy anyway

Soups, oh soups, you are my friends;
whatever culinary trends
may rack this crazy world of ours
I’ll always come to you for . . .
sours.
Bowers.
Showers?
Um . . . the end.

         By Jenna

If you haven’t made any of these soup recipes from me ole recipe archive (scroll to the bottom), gird your loins and get out a pot! They are so fabulous. The weather is calling for comfort food, and what can I do but encourage everyone to respond?

Creamy, savory Roasted Red Pepper Soup sprinkled with broiled corn . . .

Spicy Tuscan Soup with its delectable chunks of sausage and tender potatoes . . .

Perfect Mushroom Soup, which gains the title ‘perfect’ in part thanks to a nice glug of wine and a big handful of Parmesan cheese . . .

My sister’s spontaneous creation, Bacon Potato Leek Soup, which for me went over the top after adding a splash of cream . . .

Cheap, delicious, and easy Cilantro Lime White Bean Soup for all ye healthier peoples . . .

And to top it off, tomorrow I will be posting an awesome, awesome new soup recipe. It’s my current favorite. It’s a spin on a childhood comfort food, and it involves cashews, Greek yoghurt, and garam masala. See you all tomorrow for the full step by step!

And please do share–what are your favorite soup recipes? (feel free to share links!)