What could it be, the pea soup fairy? Me too. Pea soup.

Well in one soup kettle. The other has turkey soup simmering. The pea
soup has no meat; potato, carrot, celery, onion. Fennel and cumin seed,
done to paste in the mortar and pestle with the garlic and salt. Cider
vinegar. Yum. Zee




Sheryl Rosen wrote:
> in article , Sheryl Rosen at
> wrote on 12/26/04 6:37 PM:
>
> > For some reason, I decided to make pea soup today.
> >
> > I remember as a teenager deciding that I didn't like pea soup.
> > Haven't had it since and never really missed it. But I was in the
grocery
> > store today and I saw a bag of split peas, and it was snowing
out...and
> > something made me think: "Today would be a good day to make pea
soup".
> >
> > So I came home and made the following:
> >
> > Pea Soup
> >
> > 1 large onion, diced small
> > 2 medium sized carrots, diced
> > 2 ribs of celery, diced
> >
> > 3/4 lb smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick.
> >
> > 1 tablespoon corn oil
> >
> > 1 lb split green peas, sorted, rinsed and drained
> >
> > 10 cups chicken stock (I used canned, thinned with some water)
> > 2 bay leaves (thanks, Boron/Gloria!)
> > pinch of thyme
> > 2 pinches of parsley
> > pepper to taste
> >
> > In my 8 quart dutch oven, I sauteed the sliced sausages until some
fat was
> > rendered out of them and they started to brown. I added in the
veggies and
> > sauteed them until they were nice and tender, but not brown, about
15
> > minutes. At one point, I needed a bit more fat, so I added in the
oil.
> > When the veggies were soft and the meat brown, I added in the peas,
stock
> > and herbs. It's simmering now.
> >
> > When the peas are tender, I'll adjust the salt and pepper, maybe
add a
> > splash of vinegar for brightness (I saw them do this on America's
Test
> > Kitchens with pea soup) and pack it up in serving size portions for
lunches
> > at work this week.
> >
> > I didn't have a ham bone, that's why I used the smoked sausage,
it's what I
> > had. I think it will be fine. I didn't add any salt b/c the
sausage and the
> > canned broth are salted enough. but will taste it and add it if
needed. I
> > doubt it will though.
> >
> > I won't puree it b/c I think that has always been my objection to
pea
> > soup....the texture. I prefer my soups chunky. The chunks of
veggies from
> > the mirepoix I started with will help my texture objection, too.
Most I
> > will do is maybe puree a cup or two of veggies and mix that back
in. So it
> > will have some body but it won't be entirely smooth. Ick.
> >
>
> Just tasted it.....
> Yum!
>
> I think if I add the vinegar, it will be as I serve it.
>
> It doesn't need pureeing at all. It's perfect as is. After about an
hour
> simmering, it's not terribly thick, the peas have turned mushy and
some have
> disintegrated, but most are still visible. For variety, I tossed in a
> handful of frozen peas (maybe a quarter cupful...whatever was left in
a bag
> of frozen).
>
> I tasted it and it's delicious! Good eatin' for lunch this week!!!!