French Canadian Split Pea Soup

 

With Easter coming upon us, it's always nice to have a good split pea soup recipe on hand to make use of that left over Easter ham. This is a recipe shared with me by my sister Gina with a few changes. I've tried a number of different recipes over the years but this is my favorite. I think I especially like it because it isn't quite as thick as some I've tried in the past, and the flavor is delicious. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

1 pound dry green split peas

1 meaty ham bone

1 cup chopped onion

(optional) small bundle of fresh thyme

1 generous teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup sliced carrot

1 cup chopped celery 

2 slices of bacon

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Rinse peas. In kettle mix peas, ham bone, onion, Better Than Bouillon, salt, pepper, thyme bundle, and 8 cups of water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1&1/2 hours, stirring often. 

Remove ham bone and chop meat. Return meat to soup, add carrots and celery. Simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Cook bacon till crisp, drain and crumble. Stir bacon, cream, and butter into soup, heat through. Makes 8 servings.

New England Clam Chowder

This is a delicious soup I found on Epicurious. It is the best homemade clam chowder I've come across and is excellent as a cup of soup with a elegant meal or as a bowl of soup for a yummy lunch. They call for russet potatoes but I often use red potatoes instead. The russets do help to make the broth a bit thicker but I like the flavor of the red potatoes a bit more. If you like the broth a bit thicker but want the flavor of the red potatoes, simply add 1/3 cup flour instead of the 1/4 cup in the recipe.

 

 

Yield

Makes 8 (first-course) or 4 (main-course) servings

Ingredients

1. • 3 8-ounce bottles clam juice
   • 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
   • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
   • 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
   • 2 cups chopped onions
   • 1 1/4 cups chopped celery with leaves (about 2 large stalks)
   • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
   • 1 bay leaf
   • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
   • 6 6 1/2-ounce cans chopped clams, drained, juices reserved
   • 1 1/4 cups half and half
   • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preparation

1. 1.  Bring bottled clam juice and potatoes to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
   2. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add onions, celery, garlic and bay leaf and sauté until vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes (do not allow flour to brown). Gradually whisk in reserved juices from clams. Add potato mixture, clams, half and half and hot pepper sauce. Simmer chowder 5 minutes to blend flavors, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving.)