[Henryk]

Do you like pea soup? How do you make it? Do you cook the peas into oblivion or are they still discernable? Mine are the oblivion type.

My simple recipe:
1. Cook a ham. Simmer the bones to make a stock. Strain the stock.
2. Add two tbs. oil to large pot. Over high heat, sweat a cup of coined carrots, a cup of chopped celery and a cup of chopped onions. (My mother added potatoes. I didn't care for them.)Add two bay leaves, fresh if possible. Sweat about 20 minutes. Don’t let it burn.
3. Add a half-cup of dry white wine. Boil off the alcohol.
4. Add the strained stock and the peas. Cook on simmer for four or five hours, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot until the peas are undiscernible. S&P to taste remembering the pork was probably salty.

[karostay]

Just going to add in my $.02 to #1 post
add 3 parsnips when everything is cooked I like to run mine through the blender makes it creamy and smooth

[manaboutown]

I do it fast and easy: in eight cups of water, one bag of washed split peas, two bay leaves, four chopped cloves, half a large sweet onion sliced and cut into one inch long pieces, four stalks of cut up celery including the leaves, three or four coined medium/large carrots depending on their size as carrots can overwhelm the flavor, half a red bell pepper cut up for color and a little zest, and yes, usually but not always some diced red potatoes. I cube cut some smoked or honey ham and add that. I vary the amounts of the various ingredients a little each time to change the end result. I simmer and occasionally stir the whole concoction until the peas get mushy and come apart. I let it set for a while to let the flavors develop. Bon appetit! Yum, yum!

[La lamy]

Originally Posted by Henryk

Do you like pea soup? How do you make it? Do you cook the peas into oblivion or are they still discernable? Mine are the oblivion type.

My simple recipe:
1. Cook a ham. Simmer the bones to make a stock. Strain the stock.
2. Add two tbs. oil to large pot. Over high heat, sweat a cup of coined carrots, a cup of chopped celery and a cup of chopped onions. (My mother added potatoes. I didn't care for them.)Add two bay leaves, fresh if possible. Sweat about 20 minutes. Don’t let it burn.
3. Add a half-cup of dry white wine. Boil off the alcohol.
4. Add the strained stock and the peas. Cook on simmer for four or five hours, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot until the peas are undiscernible. S&P to taste remembering the pork was probably salty.

I like your "oblivion" comment.

I must say I never end up cooking mine long enough to be 'indiscernible' because the yummy smell makes me test it at 1 1/2 hours usually, then I force myself to keep simmering it for another 1/2 hour until it's just slightly toothy but soft enough. I like your addition of white wine. I usually put balsamic vinegar in mine for a nice tang, but I may try wine next time.