Recipe - Creamy Split-Pea Soup

1 pound Split Peas green, dried
2 tablespoon Butter
2 small Leeks chopped
2 md Carrots chopped
1 md Onion chopped
One half cup Celery Ribs chopped
2 lg Garlic Cloves minced
8 cup Chicken Broth or more, as
Needed
1 Whole Ham Bone or 2 ham
Hocks

Bouquet Garni, Tied In Double Cheesecloth: 3 Whole Bay Leaves One half Teaspoon
Thyme One half Teaspoon Marjoram 4 Sprigs Parsley 10 Whole Peppercorns For
Serving: 4 Cups Bread Cubes day old, french Oil Whipping Cream
optional

1. Soak split peas in cold water to cover for several hours. Drain well.

2. Heat butter in 6quart dutch oven until hot. Add leeks, carrots,
onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until limp, about 10 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth, ham bone (with at least 1 pound of meat on it), and
bouquet garni.

4. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are very tender,
about 2 hours.

5. Remove and discard bouquet garni. Remove ham bone, or hocks, to a
cutting board. Puree the soup with vegetables in a blender or food
processor until smooth.

6. Chop any meat remaining on bones, and add this meat to the soup. Reheat
soup if necessary. Add more chicken broth, if needed, to thin soup to your
preferred consistency.

7. For croutons, fry bread cubes in a small amount of oil in skillet until
crisp on all sides. Drain well on paper towels.

8. To serve, ladle soup into bowl. Drizzle a little whipping cream into
center of soup (optional). Sprinkle with croutons.

Recipe By : Parade Magazine 3/9/96 Recorded by Jocie Moravec

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip