Easy Winter Recipes: Country Pea Soup with Rosemary

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Sturdy herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and lavender dry well and add their flavors to these hearty dishes of Country Pea Soup and Leek Quiche.

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Serves 8

This split pea soup flavored with rosemary is an all-time favorite of chef and author Susan Belsinger of Brookville, Maryland. This recipe may be varied by simmering a prosciutto bone or a smoked ham hock along with the peas.

• 1 1/2 pounds split peas
• 4 teaspoons dried rosemary, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large potato, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

1. Wash the peas well until they no longer foam, then pick them over. Place them in a large soup pot and cover them with 2 inches of water. Add 2 teaspoons of rosemary and the bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Sauté the carrots, potato, celery, and onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes, then add them to the peas with the salt, garlic, and remaining rosemary. Simmer the soup over low heat for 25 minutes, or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot. For enhanced flavor, cool and refrigerate the soup overnight, then thin it with a little water, reheat, and serve.

Adapted from a recipe in Herbs in the Kitchen, by Carolyn Dille and Susan Belsinger (Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press, 1992).

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