Cold days ~ hot soup

Fall in the Green Mountains doesn't always mean vibrant color. Honey took this image during one of our fall road trips. The early morning light adds to the peacefulness of the moment.

When the weather starts getting colder, coming home to a hot supper seems to be a necessity. The damp chill goes all the way to the bone and after all these years, honey has convinced me that soup really does warm the insides. I have never been a soup person. Campbell's may be the nation's leading soup company, but they won't get rich off of me. When honey started asking for more soup, I started looking around for a way to make it myself. The probably sounds silly to most folks. Homemade soup is probably a mainstay in most houses. But, since I didn't like soup ... I never bothered to learn how to make it. In the past few months, I have learned the error of my ways and have become a soup convert. One of honey's favorite soups is split pea & ham. The thought didn't appeal to me at first, but I decided to give it a whirl. After a few adjustments on the original recipe, here's my modified version:

SPLIT PEA & HAM SOUP

1 medium ham bone that has been picked clean
1 bag of dry split peas
3 lrg carrots, pealed & chopped
3 large or 5 med. potatoes, pealed & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot place ham bone, split peas, and carrots. Cover with 6-8 cups water (or enough to just about cover everything). Bring to a boil then simmer for about 30 minutes or so. When the meat on the bone is tender enough to pick off with a fork, remove the bone. I usually pick off the last remaining meat and put it back into the soup pot. Add potatoes,celery, salt & pepper, cover, and continue to simmer until the potatoes are soft. Keep an eye on the water level.

*Important note: Unlike red beans, split peas don't hold their shape throughout the cooking process! The first time I made this, I was horrified when I went to check the soup and all the peas had apparently melted. I just knew I had messed up and was so upset! This didn't look like the stuff I used to pour out of the Campbell's cans. When honey came home he told me that's how it was supposed to look. I was relieved and disgusted. To be completely honest, pea soup isn't much to look at, but it smells and tastes wonderful! A pan of cornbread tops off the meal. Speaking of which, it's time to get the bread out of the oven.

Have a blessed day.