Split Pea Soup

So here's the short of it,

I'm inspired by Elizabeth to post a recipe. 

And here's the long

Mom is in California visiting with Elizabeth, Josh, and Elijah.  Elizabeth is guest writing that blog for the time that Mom will be out there.  I hope everyone will visit it and keep up with what's going on out West! Check it out at EmilyandGene.blogspot.com  Elizabeth posted a great sounding soup recipe, and inspired me to post the recipe I made today!

I seem to have recovered pretty well from the horrible evening I had on Friday.  I've been trying to figure out if it was food poisoning or if I just got a short and very awful bug!  Anyway, I watched what I ate again today, nothing very spicy.  I made a batch of split pea soup that we had for dinner.  It was just the trick.  While we were at the grocery, I looked at the ingredient list on the split pea soup mix that's available.  I've never used it, but thought it would be a good cooking lesson to see what they use.  It listed celery salt.  I rarely use celery salt, but decided to put in a couple of ribs of celery to see how it tasted.  Alan said he thought it was the best I've ever made. I don't use a broth for my soups as most people do; I just use good old water. 

Split Pea Soup.
Put the following ingredients in a stock pot
Equal amounts of yellow and green split peas (I use about a pint altogether - I keep them stored in mason jars in the pantry)

One sweet yellow onion diced to your preferred size (I chop it small) more or less depending on your taste. I like lots of onion.

Carrots diced.  
Celery - one or two ribs.

Cover all the above ingredients with water.  You could use a stock if you preferred.  I'm sure that chicken, beef, or vegetable stock would each give this a very different flavor.


Add a good tablespoon or two of olive oil.  I like to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  And I just free pour a small stream around two times.  


Let this simmer for a long time.  (All morning or all afternoon), stirring from time to time to make sure it doesn't stick on the bottom. 

After cooking slowly for 3 or 4 hours,  Add quick cooking barley - I use about a handful.Let it continue cooking for another 2 hours or so. 


I like for the peas to cook up.  I've seen lots of recipes where it seems people prefer for the peas to hold their shape.  I say do it however you like it best!  


Sometimes instead of adding the barley at the end, I'll chop up a potato or two and add that at a time to get the potato cooked all the way through, but not break all the way down.  It gives it a good flavor too.  

This is a favorite cold weather soup around this house.  I usually make a big batch and it's good for supper and a few lunches.  It's also easy to make this a bigger or smaller batch.


I've had a relatively low key weekend - in spite of the length of that recipe, it doesn't require much tending to - but I'm looking at a pretty hectic week coming up at work.  I'm glad I'm well enough to work, and I'm using this public forum to remind myself that it might be wise and necessary to take a sick day to stay home and rest so that I'll have enough energy to work during the time I am at work. That certainly won't be tomorrow.  There is a small possibility that we'll get a snow day Tuesday or Wednesday.  That would be so great.  I'd have an extra day to rest and not have to worry about being behind because I missed a day of school. We'll see what the weather brings!