Pea Soup coming up...

 

Jodi's Pea Soup Coming Up...

I hadn't ever made homemade split pea soup & the kids had wanted some...all I had were frozen peas & I didn't think that sounded like "real" pea soup! I know they are real peas, but just the same, how would these bright lil green veggies turn into Split Pea Soup? Well not to my surprise, there were a ton of versions of pea soup recipes! I looked at about 7 different ones & narrowed it down to 2 that sounded good. I then added my own twist on things & here's what I came up with...

First I gathered all my ingredients which included some from the 2 recipes I liked.

Ingredients~

• 6 cups frozen peas

• 3 cups whole milk

• ½ package of bacon, finely chopped

• 1 48oz can chicken broth

• ½ cup barley

• 4 garlic cloves minced

• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, about 4”

• 1 lg red onion, finely chopped

• 1 lg tomato, finely chopped

• 1 lg carrot, finely shredded

• 2 lg russet potatoes, cubed

• ½ cup Heinz ketchup

• 2 tbs olive oil

• 3 tbs butter

• 2 tbs Meyer Lemon Infused Oil (Tastefully Simple)

• 2 tbs parsley

• 1 tsp thyme or fresh sprig

• 1 tsp cracked ground pepper

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tbs Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joes)

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• squeeze of a fresh lemon

{Directions}

  

In large soup pot, sauté onion, carrots, tomato & bacon in both oils & lemon juice. I find the best way to chop bacon into tiny bits is to keep the package in your freezer and use as needed. Remove from freezer about 20 minutes before use. This gives it just enough time to thaw a little, but makes it very easy to cut. Taking a large butcher knife cut across the bacon slab about ¼ inches until you've used half the package. Then dice into smaller cubes. Add bacon and minced garlic.

   

Once browned, add entire can of chicken broth, 2 cups milk & peas, ketchup, all spices & rosemary sprig. Bring to a full rolling boil, then turn down to simmer for 1 ½ hours.

  

Just before pureeing the peas, place a cup full of the juice and ½ cup water into a small sauce pan. Add ½ cup of barley and cook until done. Also in another saucepan, peel & cube 2 large potatoes, and cook until done.

 

Puree the rest of the Pea Soup in a food processor along with the juices. If too thick you can add a splash of milk (remaining 1 cup) as you go.

Once soup is pureed, place back in soup pot & add barley & potatoes. Do NOT add the water from boiling the barley or potatoes. Simmer an additional 20 minutes, season to taste. 

I was very pleased with the taste of my rendition of Split Pea Soup. Added garlic bread with this soup made for a yummy comfort food on this cold winters day!

Dutch Crust Garlic Bread

1 loaf Dutch Crust French Bread
Butter
Seasonings-
• Everyday Seasoning (Trader Joes)
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt
• Parsley
• Paprika

Slice loaf in half lengthwise. Spread butter over both halves. Slice each half at an angle. Season with seasonings. Broil for 1-2 minutes depending on your oven.