Yellow Split Pea Soup

(8-10 Servings or about 8 cups)

Winter went out with a vengeance here in New Hampshire yesterday leaving 16 inches of snow.  This soup helped warm us during the day after shoveling and cleaning snow off the Jeeps.

Yellow split peas have a much milder flavor than their green cousins and remind me faintly of corn in both size and texture.  They are packed with protein and cook quickly.  The soup ingredients are varied in color and make me think of Spring while  cooking.

This recipe is versatile and can easily be made vegan or adapted to use available pantry ingredients.  I originally made this during a cooking class with camping friends taught at the Culinary Underground Cooking School near Boston. That original recipe contained more salt pork and maple syrup.   Due to dietary restrictions, the recipe was adapted and those ingredients reduced when prepared yesterday – I liked it just as much.  The original amounts of bacon (or salt pork) and maple syrup are in parenthesis in the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce of bacon, finely diced (4 ounces salt pork or bacon)
• 1 Tablespoon bacon fat, or canola oil
• 1 cup rutabaga or turnip, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1+½  cups split yellow peas (remove debris and rinse)
• 6 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (2-3 TBSP)
• Salt and lots of black pepper to taste

Method:

In a Dutch Oven or soup pot, heat oil and fry the bacon until lightly browned.  Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Remove any excess oil except for 1 TBSP.

Add veggies to pot, sauté until soft – about 3-5 minutes.

Add peas, water and salt.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until peas are soft or the texture desired.  Pureeing the soup is an alternative if desired.  Thin with water if too thick.  If using a thermal cooker, cook for 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

Season with maple syrup, salt and pepper.  Serve with reserved bacon bits on top.

This soup makes me think of the sun!