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Colorful Yellow Pea Soup for Special Evenings
Ambience adds to the appeal of any type of meal and particularly soups. Dressing them up to entice the appetite is a very clever thing to do and if your family is unfamiliar with yellow pea soup, the simplest little touches can make a difference. A garnish of parsley in the center of the bowl is attractive and a piped thin decoration of sour cream around it adds flavor and appeal. Other creative touches will come to mind, as well as those you find on websites and in magazines.
Soup recipes often produce more than enough for one or two people. Quite a few soup recipes can freeze without losing quality. If you make a soup recipe with an abundance of leftovers, let the surplus cool down before putting it into a container to freeze for another time. When the afternoon is dreary or the evening chilly, warm, delicious homemade pea soups with fresh and tasty homemade yeast rolls or breadsticks are perfect for eating. Ham flavors many legumes besides peas, such as pinto beans, white beans, lentils, and lima beans.
Let the soup simmer to blend the flavors. Follow the recipe instructions for the best results. If you want the soup to be thicker, avoid adding cold thickeners to the hot soup, which causes lumps. Instead, blend cornstarch and a cup of warm broth and add it slowly to the soup, stirring it until combined and the mixture thickens. You can also thicken pea soup by removing one or two cups of the soup, cooling it slightly, and placing it in the blender on medium speed to mix. Then slowly stir it back into the soup and reheat, if necessary.
Dressing Up Yellow Pea Soup
A delicious make-ahead soup, just keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days, reheat and serve.
Ingredients -
3 carrots
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 pound of yellow split peas
½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
Sprigs of parsley for garnish
Wheat bread and butter
Preparation:
Place the peas in a large baking pan and cover with water. Sort through them to remove stems, stones and other debris. Rinse and sort through the peas again. Rinse for the final time and place the peas in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover with the vegetable stock.
Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and turn the burner to medium, letting the peas boil for 3 minutes. Cover the pan and set it to the back of the stove. Let the peas soak for one hour.
Peel and shred the carrots into a bowl and then peel the onion, chopping fine and putting it into the bowl with the carrots. Peel and mince the garlic cloves, adding to the bowl. After the peas have finished soaking, stir the vegetables in with the peas.
Add the salt, cloves, pepper, and dry mustard powder to the pan and stir. Put the pan back on the burner and turn it to high. Bring the stock to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan, letting the soup simmer for two hours, and stirring about every 15 minutes to keep the peas from scorching.
Salt to taste and let the soup simmer an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes.
Dish into bowls and garnish with a sprig of parsley in the center of each bowl, using the picture for an example. Serve with wheat bread and butter.
(Serves 8)
Yellow Pea Soup
Photo Description:
This yellow split pea soup is very appealing in the white soup mug set on a decorative napkin with two slices of fresh homemade wheat bread. Fresh from the kitchen, the soup provides some very healthy eating and the slices of carrots and onions add to the flavor of the soup. A sprig of parsley in the center of the mug is quite becoming and the entire display encourages each member of the family to start with something warm before they get to the main course. Just one portion of this soup will chase away the chill of the evening.
