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Pea Soup

   From AngelDeNoir-10-21-04

Ingredients:

1 lb. Of split yellow peas
1 small ham shank or smoked pork butt
1 large onion chopped
4 med. carrots sliced
3 ribs of celery
1 parsley root diced
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 parsnip root diced
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
6 whole peppercorns
3 quarts of water
1/4 cup of pearl barley -optional-

Preparation:

Wash and drain yellow peas and place in soup pot with 3 quarts of
cold water.
Add ham or pork butt, along with vegetables and spices and optional
barley.
Bring water to a boil, turn down heat and slowly cook until all
veggies and peas are soft.
Taste for seasoning, and now add required salt. (Ham and pork butt
are salty, do not add salt at the beginning of cooking).
Cooking will take about an hour and a half.

If the soup is not as thick as you like it, cook it a little longer.
The soup should be thick, like a peas porridge.

Serve in a large bowl with a slice of ham or pork butt in each
serving. Add a crusty bread and salad for a satisfying one dish meal.

Makes 6 servings.