I like Split Pea Soup but have never made it before. I was looking through a little soup cookbook I had called Soup Gourmet and found an easy recipe I thought I’d try. I made my version thicker because I like thick and hearty soups. I like this soup because, in addition to peas, it has lots of other good-for-you veggies in it–carrots, onion, and celery. And you can add ham or bacon if you want, or make it without any meat.

After looking at some other recipes, I decided I would try garnishing this with croutons and feta, and I’m so glad I tried that out–I really liked it! The feta cheese gives a nice zing to the soup, and the crispy croutons make a nice touch, too. Serve this soup with a salad and some crusty bread–it makes a great lunch or dinner during the cold winter months!

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EASY PEA SOUP WITH HAM OR BACON by NancyC, adapted from Soup Gourmet

Makes 4-6 servings

• 2 (16-ounce) packages frozen peas, thawed (or you can use 2 (16-oz.) cans of peas)

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth (this is a thick soup, so if you’d like it to be thinner, add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of broth)
• 1 1/2 cups boiled ham or cooked bacon, diced (if you’d like this to be meatless, leave out the ham or bacon)
• 1 cup carrots, finely diced or grated
• 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• additional seasonings to taste, if desired
• croutons for garnish, optional
• crumbled feta cheese for garnish, optional

Place peas and broth in blender or food processor and puree until smooth (the peas and broth will fill your blender almost to the top, so you can blend them half the amount at a time, if you prefer–you’ll need to do this, too, if you are adding extra broth to make a thinner soup).

Transfer blended mixture to a large pot. Add ham or bacon, carrots, onion, and celery. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Halfway through cooking, add salt and pepper, and additional seasonings, if desired.

Serve hot in soup bowls or cups and garnish with croutons and crumbled feta cheese, if desired.

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I really like it served with the croutons and feta cheese–they add an extra special touch to the soup! Have you tried any new soup recipes lately?