flappergirl
My mum made the most wonderful pea soup. She made it with boxed peas, celery, carrots, potatoes and, I think, a ham hock. Although it contained ham, it was always just called pea soup. We'd eat it as a main meal (it was really thick) with crusty bread. Try as I might, I cannot reproduce the sheer deliciousness of it.
Ours is wonderful as well. We're vegan, no ham hock. I believe you could add a ham hock into the liquid, during the cooking.
Pea Soup
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
1 cup medium-diced boiling potatoes, unpeeled
500 grams dried green peas
8 cups veg stock
In a large pot saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 of the peas, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper before serving. Croutons on top are lovely.
