Fall Favorites: Split Pea Soup

1 medium onion chopped. 3-4 stalks of celery chopped. Sweat lightly in a large non-stick pan with a few tsps Olive Oil. Salt. 1 tbl chopped garlic. Add 1 small bag of frozen carrots & peas, or use about 3 cups worth, allow to cook down and flavors to meld.

In a large pot, start boiling 4 cups of water and 4 cups of stock. Rinse and strain 1 bag of split peas, then add to the pot. Combine the contents of the pan into the pot, and bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Add your favorite additional flavorings such as: Thyme, Paprika, Worcestershire, Mustard, and Red Pepper. Adjust the Salt as needed.

Use a hand mixer in the pot to blend about 1/3 of the volume of soup, leaving a good amount of the vegetables intact for texture. Don't forget the garnishes, they really do a lot to finish the dish: A generous sprinkle of smoked Paprika, and a thin dollop of Creme Fraiche, topped with a swirling drizzle of good Olive Oil, and some Dill weed. When re-heating, add a little bit of water to thin the soup since it will thicken naturally, but you shouldn't have to consume something with the consistency of library paste. This is hearty, flavorful, and perfectly Fall food!