Split Pea Soup with Fresh Mint

 

one pound bag of dried split peas 8 cups water 2 tbs olive oil 1 yellow onion chopped fine 3 stalks of celery chopped fine 3 cloves garlic chopped fine 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 whole bay leaves 6-8 cups fresh water 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves chopped medium

Using the quick soak method in a stockpot add split peas and 8 cups of water, bring to boil for 2 minutes, cover and let sit for one hour. Meanwhile in a nonstick saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil sauté one yellow onion chopped fine till soft, put in bowl, then sauté 3 stalks chopped fine of celery till soft, put in same bowl as onion, then sauté 3 chopped fine garlic cloves for one minute only, put in same bowl.

At end of an hour drain and rinse peas then put back in same pot and add all the items in the bowl and enough water to cover those ingredients. Then add one teaspoon of salt, cumin, pepper and bay leaves and simmer till peas are very soft add more water if necessary. Next blend in blender along with half a cup of fresh mint leaves chopped. Husband raved about this soup. The mint elevates the lowly split pea in this soup to a new level.

A pound bag of split peas makes quite a few servings of soup. It's just the two of us so I can freeze some of it but I don't think it will be frozen this time. For Greek split pea soup add half a cup of parsley along with the mint, also the juice of one lemon at the end and garnish with feta crumbles. I was afraid lemon would make it too acidic but will try it next time. I grow my mint (not spearmint or peppermint but regular mint) in a container so it doesn't take over the garden. Enjoy.

When it rains it pours. One such downpour is my old laptop screen died and I am trying to learn how to use this new one, hence my lack of response on this and other blogs.

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