Ooey, Gooey, Soupy Deliciousness

So it sounds completely disgusting, but Split Pea Soup is so delicious! It is somehow a family tradition for the Harris family and one meal that everyone in our family loves, although there is still the argument about which kind of cornbread is better with the soup (Dad's made-from-scratch brick-like cornbread--yuck--or Jiffy cornbread-mix-in-a-box--yum!). One thing is for sure though, Spilt Pea Soup is loved by all!!! The origins of the pea soup loving in my family dates back to the late 80s and 90s when the three young Harris daughters were forced* into camping with our parents every, single spring break in Yosemite (life was hard people) and then spending time each summer with our boat on Bass Lake (more suffering). One little light of hope during these awful trips was a stop along the way called Anderson's. This restaurant is famous for its, what else?, Split Pea Soup! And somehow my parents got their hands on the secret recipe and recreated the green slimey goodness at home. I now make the pea soup recipe for my family and even Brian will eat it, which is saying alot because as a rule, Brian does not eat vegetables. I think Steve likes it but it's hard to tell because he pretty much inhales anything set in front of him without complaint (unless it is a meatless dish and then I'm accused of trying to turn him vegan). So, anywoo, I thought I would share the recipe with everyone because it's sooooo good....

What you need (this is for a double recipe--provides two nights of soup and some to freeze for another night down the road)

2--16 oz bags of Split Peas (no need to split them yourselves!)

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1 pinch cayanne pepper

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

ham bone (optional) and chopped up ham pieces

Start the night before by rinsing the peas in the pot you will use to cook them in (I use an 8 quart stock pot). Rinse the peas with cool water, change out the water until it is clear (twice is usually enough). Leave the peas to soak overnight in cool, clean water). If you are using a ham bone, which is not really necessary, but adds some flavor to the soup, remove the peas from the pot and cook the ham bone in lots of water on low all day. Remove the ham bone and use the hammy water to cook the peas and veggies (you may need to add some water, there should be about 12-14 cups of water total). If you skip the ham bone, start the peas and other veggies cooking about 3 hours before meal time. Put the peas, 12-14 cups of water, the veggies, and spices in the pot and heat to boiling. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes and then just simmer the soup, stirring often for a few hours, until the peas and veggies are soft and the soup is thick. Add chopped ham pieces during the last hour. Remove the bay leaf and serve with saltine crackers. Cheese is good too.

Happea and Pea-Wee--Anderson's Pea Soup Mascots

"Even Brian likes it!!!"

Time to lick the bowl!

*Okay, so we pretended to hate these fun family camping trips as any normal preteen would do, there was alot of eye rolling, use of the word "lame," "are we there yet?" and "why do we have to come here every year?" but I'd do anything to camp in Yosemite once a year now and boat on Bass Lake on someone else's dime!!!