From http://inthekitchenwithkath.com
Adapted from The Daily Soup Cookbook
Serves 6, maybe 7
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound green split peas, rinsed and picked over to remove any rocks
8 cups broth (your choice: vegetable, chicken, or just water)
½ cup white wine or Vermouth
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until tender.
2. Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir to coat the vegetables.
3. Add the split peas, broth and white wine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 45 minutes until the peas are tender.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot. I like to leave it fairly chunky, so I don’t blend it completely. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully blend some of the soup in a blender or food processor and then add it back to the pot. Don’t fill the blender too full, and firmly hold the top on with an oven mitt. The hot soup can send the top flying.
5. Add the minced garlic to the soup and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley.