Most cooks of a certain age have recollections of pea soup and thick fog. It's not a fashionable concept, but that is true of many of the most popular recipes on this site. Many soup recipes require long, slow cooking so this is a recipe for winter weekends when this type of activity is especially satisfying and not likely to fail because of the need to get food on the table by 8:00 pm
Ingredients (Serves 4 - 6)
12 oz (350 gm) of Dried Peas
4 oz (50 gm) of Bacon or ham
1 Small onion (optional)
1 Small carrot (optional)
1 Stick of celery (optional)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Pints water or stock
Equipment
4 Pint (2 litre) saucepan
Method
Chop the ham or bacon finely and fry gently in the saucepan in the oil for 5 minutes. Chop the vegetables, add them to the saucepan and let them soften for 5 - 10 minutes. Add the dried peas and stir the contents of the pan together. Add the water/stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for two hours. Stir frequently (every 20 - 30 minutes) otherwise the peas have a tendency to form a lump at the base of the pan. Season according to taste.
Comment
Stock cubes work well for this type of soup. Take care not to let the soup get too salty, bacon and some stock cubes both contain salt.
Page Created: 2nd January 2001