Split Pea Soup

Servings: 4 | Serving size: about 2 cups

Cooking Time: 120 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2, and like many soups, is better the next day. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Serve with a 2 ounce whole grain or gluten-free roll and a side salad of your choice, or an egg salad sandwich or grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup split peas
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 ounces prosciutto or other lean ham (diced)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp. dry sherry

Place the split peas in the boiling water and cook at a rolling boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Let stand for an hour and drain.

Place the olive oil in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat.

Add the diced ham and cook slowly for five minutes until the ham is not quite crispy.

Add the onion and increase the heat slightly.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to be soft.

Add the split peas and stir well.

Add the vegetable stock, water and salt and cook for about an hour over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.

When the split peas are slightly soft, remove the pan from the heat.

Remove about 1 1/2 cups of the soup and puree the remaining using a stick blender or blender.

Add the 1 1/2 cups of split peas back to the soup and stir.

Add the nutmeg and sherry and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve.