dinner tonight

Leftover split pea soup and homemade bread. Perfect food for a cold winter fall evening.

Split Pea Soup recipe:

Ingredients:
- 1 lb bacon*
- 1 16 oz bag of split peas
-56+ oz chicken broth/ water
-3+ carrots
-1 large onion
-2ish cloves of garlic
-2 bay leaves
-salt and pepper
-optional, rosemary, marjoram, paprika, potatoes, celery, etc.

*I prefer to make this soup with a ham bone, but I don't often have one of those floating around, so for the other 5 times a year I want split pea soup, I use bacon.

Instructions:
1. Fry up bacon, removing grease as necessary, in a large pot.
2. While bacon is frying chop up onion and carrots, mince the garlic.
3. Leave 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the bottom of pot- toss in onions, carrots, and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute for a few minutes, until carrots start to get tender.
4. Add chicken broth, split peas, bay leaves, and any desired herbage to pot. 56 oz of liquid will give you a very thick soup. Soup that will turn to a solid after cooling. I usually add about a cup more water, and I like pea soup thick. If you like thinner soup, add more 1 cup or more liquid now, or you can always add it when you reheat it if needed.
5. Simmer for approximately 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You know it's ready when the peas are broken up, and you are looking at a tasty pot of green mush.
6. Remove bay leaves and serve.

This is honestly, one of my and David's favorite winter recipes (and keep in mind David doesn't really count soup as a meal by itself)- it's cheap, healthy, filling, and easy! And it usually sometimes gives us lots of tasty leftovers, so we can enjoy it for a few days.