Monday, December 31, 2007

Split Pea Soup

It has been cold lately...well, as cold as it gets in Louisiana. I'm from the Midwest where I'd be shoveling snow about now, but I get wimpier each winter I spend in the South. Anyway, it's cold, so it's time for soup. Split pea soup is perfect for cold weather. It's also easy to make, especially if you do it in the pressure cooker like I do. If you're scared to use a pressure cooker, you should look into the new models. They are much safer than the old ones, where you hear stories about housewives being permanently scarred from exploding split peas.


I dice an onion and saute it with a little olive oil in the pot. I'm sure the onion would cook just fine if I skipped this step, but it gives me some time to sort and rinse the split peas. Normally I would add some diced carrot and celery, but I was hungry, and thus in a hurry. Some garlic, thyme and rosemary go in next, and then one package of sorted and rinsed split peas along with 6 cups of water. On with the pressure cooker lid, and 15 minutes later it's ready. Then I taste it and add salt, Braggs, Tabasco (i like the smoked chipotle kind), or whatever sounds tasty. You could also add some diced tomato or roasted red pepper, or...anything really. Sometimes I add a little water to thin it, but it's usually about right. Nothing else tastes like split pea soup, and nothing else is quite as warming to me on a cold evening.

I ate it with toast and pepper jelly. If you like sweet, and you like hot, and you haven't tried pepper jelly...you must. I was skeptical until I tasted it, and now I can't imagine going without it.

6 comments:

On a fools hope said...

Mmmmm, split pea is one of ou favorites and staple foods. I would love the pepper jelly but Dale ouwld not, he hates sweet/spcey combos. Anyways sounds yummy and I am hungry now. Thanks:)

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Mmm, I love split pea soup!

KitteeBee said...

I have got to get myself a new pressure cooker, my last one died hard recently, and I've just been using a crock pot. It's soooooo cold in NOLA today, I am freaking out. Hot split pea soup would totally do the trick. Do y'all ever make it to NOLA?

xo
kittee

jess (of Get Sconed!) said...

looks great!

Jenny Wren said...

Mags--What does Dale know? Tell him I said he MUST eat pepper jelly.

kittee--Sadly, we have not been back to NOLA since we moved from there a few years back. We miss it bad, though, and have been dreaming about a visit...I've been reading awful things that break my heart in the news lately. What's your experience been since Katrina?

jess--thanks!

KitteeBee said...

jenny,
we've had some really sad things to happen since repopulating. too sad to leave as a post, they involve violent crime. pretty much what you read about is what's happening here. there were cops on every block i turned down this afternoon...through the whole day. it's bad.

xo
kittee