Split Pea Soup, My Way

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
• 1 medium potato, diced (1/2 pound)
• 1 meaty ham bone or 1 smoked ham hock, about 3/4 pound
• 1 (12 ounce) package split peas, rinsed & drained
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer (or 1-1/2 cups chicken broth)
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (or allspice)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 lb beef frankfurters (optional) or 1/2 lb cooked mild sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 1 cup finely chopped ham, from the soup
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 pinch baking powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• chopped parsley

Recipe

• 1 in a 5-1/2 quart kettle over medium heat, melt butter . add onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft but not browned.
• 2 add potato, ham bone or hock, split peas, beer, water, and spices.
• 3 bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ham and peas are very tender, 2 or 2-1/2 hours.
• 4 remove ham bone and when cool, pull off meat discarding fat, skin and bones. reserve 1 cup of ham for dumplings, and return the remainder to the soup.
• 5 add the optional franks or sausage and reheat. blend in vinegar. taste and add salt if desired.
• 6 stir in parsley and green onions.
• 7 serve very hot in warmed bowls.
• 8 when reheating leftovers, add water or more beer to thin if desired.
• 9 directions for ham dumplings:.
• 10 put about 1 cup of finely chopped ham in a small bowl. stir in egg, flour, baking powder & soda. divide into 8 mounds and shape into meat balls. make a hollow in each with your finger and fill with a rounded ½ t. of chopped peanuts. reshape into a ball and roll in chopped parsley.
• 11 reheat soup and simmer dumplings on top of soup for 10-12 minutes. place a dumpling in each bowl and ladle soup over the top.