Pea Soup really is good

Pea Soup

2 cups  dried peas = 1lb bag, wash and sort peas

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups water or  broth from boiled dinner see instructions below
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 cup chopped ham unless your bone is real meaty.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.   Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add 8 cups of water, peas, ham bone, the bay leaf and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry.)
Remove ham bone, get any ham you can off it and add back to soup along with 1 cup of chopped ham.

Use an immersible hand blender, or transfer soup to the blender, to make the soup more creamy. I only blend a little bit to cream some of the peas, yet leave some intact and chunky. I like that combination.

 

 New England Boiled Dinner method:

If you are so lucky to have made a boiled dinner
 and smart enough to save the broth, bone with meat still on it

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.   Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Then add boiled dinner broth and bone.  Bring to boiling; simmer 1 1/2 hours.  Remove boiled dinner bone, get any meat you can off it and add back to soup along with 1 cup of chopped meat.

A traditional New England dinner is with smoked shoulder.  You can use a smoked shoulder or corn beef for this method.

Slowcooker Method

Put all the ingredients in the crock-pot. Cover and cook on low about 8 hrs or on high about 4 hrs.

Remove ham bone, get any ham you can off it and add back to soup along with 1 cup of chopped ham.

Use an immersible hand blender, or transfer soup to the blender, to make the soup more creamy. I only blend a little bit to cream some of the peas, yet leave some intact and chunky. I like that combination.