Recipe - Hernerakkaa (Yellow Split Pea Soup)

2 cup Dried yellow split peas
8 cup Water or vegetable stock
2 md Potatoes
2 lg Carrots
3 Celery stalks
1 lg Onion
1 Turnip; peeled
2 Parsnips; peeled
2 teaspoon Dry mustard; (or 23 Tbsp
prepared mustard) (or to
taste), up to 3
1 ds Allspice
1 teaspoon Ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Dried marjoram
1 teaspoon Dried thyme
2 teaspoon Salt; (or to taste)
Plenty of freshly ground
black pepper
Dark bread croutons or cubes
of toaste; (optional)

Here are the recipes I promised. My family loves these. The first is a
Finnish Yellow Split Pea Soup called Hernerakkaa from the Sundays at
Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook the recipe calls for no fat except for 1
cup heavy cream as a garnish, which is optional, so this is the only thing
I leave out. The description from the cookbook goes: "This smooth, thick,
very filling soup is a favorite all over Scandinavia. It is often served at
traditional wedding suppers, probably because of its nourishing restorative
powers."

Rinse the split peas. In a large soup pot, bring the split peas and the
water or stock to a boil. Coarsely chop the vegetables and add them to the
water as it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 11/2
hours or until the peas are very soft and almost disintegrating. Use a heat
diffuser, if needed, to prevent scorching.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor, until it is quite
smooth and an even yellowish color it will be very thick. {I don't puree
it, it's smooth enough for us already.) Add the spices and herbs and season
with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently.

Serve the soup steaming hot, garnished with croutons or cubes of toaste.
Posted to fatfree digest by "Zoe Sodja" zoe_sodja@macmail.ucsc.edu on Apr
14, 1998