Rainy Weather Comfort Soup

The rains have come. Well, actually, they have been coming, now and then, during October and November, but this time we are having heavy precipitation that is going to continue for days in a row. That's exactly what should happen in late fall here in Northern California. The trees, shrubs and grasses are happy. The new dog, not so much. Perhaps being out in the rain reminds Pi of his time on the streets. Perhaps he has become spoiled by his new 'parents'. For whatever the reason, he really tries to avoid the rain, even going close to the house to take advantage of the eaves when he can.

I enjoy rainy weather as long as I don't have to do a lot of driving in it. I much prefer to stay at home baking bread and simmering soups and stews. One of my favorite rainy weather comfort soups comes from the Classic Comfort Food cookbook. It is Split Pea Soup. It makes enough for a couple of meals and can be doubled if you have a group for lunch or dinner. I usually add a ham hock for flavor but it is delicious without it. Onions and carrots add their own flavor notes and the dried peas cook up nice and tender with lots of simmering. You can take off the pot lid towards the end and simmer enough to make the consistency as thick or thin as you prefer. I like mine on the thick side so I allow an extra 45 minutes to an hour to get there.

I rarely find any debris in the dried split peas, but do check as you are rinsing them. You can jazz this up with herbs, too.

By the way, Classic Comfort Food cookbook, written by yours truly, contains lots of great recipes for fall and winter, including some classic Christmas cookies. It would make a great gift! You can order copies to be mailed directly to your loved one from Blurb, the online publisher. Click HERE. Between now and December 3rd, add the code HOLIDAY25 at checkout and save 25%! There is also a link at the top right of this blog. It is also the link to go directly to the Blurb store. This is not a moneymaker for me, dear reader. I think my profit is something like 50 cents. The reason I'm suggesting it as a gift is that it really will be a great one for friends and family who like sweet and savory classic dishes like macaroni and cheese and fresh coconut cake (both great recipes for this time of year).

Split Pea Soup
from Classic Comfort Food

2 cups dried split peas
8 cups hot water
1-2 lbs. ham bones or hocks
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 stalk celery and tops, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Pick over and rinse the dried split peas. Combine ingredients. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour and fifteen minutes, or until peas are very soft. Remove ham bones and put soup through food mill or blend. Reheat and serve. Often served with croutons made from stale bread cubes baked until dry. Serves 8.

Soup Just Like Mom Used to Make

My Mom used to make the best split pea soup. It was always thick, just salty enough, a lovley pea green color with bits of orange from carrots and pinkish bits of ham from the ham hock she used when she made it.

She probably still makes the best pea soup, but the bowl I ate for lunch today was almost as good. I used her recipe and let it cook down slowly to just the right thickness a few days ago, then it sat in the fridge to let the flavors mellow. Today I heated up a bowl in the microwave on low power, stirring every now and again, until it was hot and smelling wonderful. Some multi-grain toast made great croutons to go on top. Can't think of a better lunch for a cold January day.

Strange as it sounds, I used to like to eat soup for breakfast when I was growing up. Pea soup, bean and bacon soup, mushroom soup were all a welcome warming breakfast in the winter. I also like tuna fish sandwiches for breakfast, but that's another story. The only bad thing about these food for breakfast was they msot of them had pretty strong fragrances associated with them.

I didn't mind. My sense of smell has never been very acute (except when I was pregnant), but my Mom has a very sensitive nose. Things like pea soup or tuna early in the morning were not at all appealing to her because of the smell. That's why I didn't eat that way every morning...just when I could eat a little later than when she had to be in the kitchen.

I may have a bowl of this pea soup for breakfast tomorrow now that I think about it. It sure is cold enough to enjoy a hot bowlof soup in the morning. The frost was heavy this morning and it was about 28 degrees when I got up. Not too cold if you live where it's in the teens most of the winter, but 28 is cold enough for me.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound green or yellow dried split peas
2 quart boiling water
¼ lb leans salt pork or a ham hock
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, dices
1 teaspoon salt (or more if needed)
¼ teaspoon pepper

Sort the peas, making sure to remove any small stones or grit or shriveled peas. Rinse. Place in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the boiling water and salt pork. Set over medium high heat, cover and let bubble gently 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally.

Add onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and remove the salt pork or ham hock. If desired, cut the salt pork or any ham that can be removed from the bone into very small pieces. Return them to the pot. Stir to combine.

Taste for seasonings. Simmer uncovered until the desired thickness is reached, stirring often to keep from sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Serve hot. Croutons make a nice garnish. Serves 4 – 6.