Yellow Split Pea Soup

According to my cookbook, The Swedish Table by Helene Henderson, (where you can find this recipe in whole and not from my occasionally lacking memory... and many other delicious ones to boot) yellow split pea soup is the national dish of Sweden and everybody there eats it for dinner on Thursdays.  Even the King.  It's a story I like, although I can't guarantee it's authenticity.  And I have to say this dish is just the thing on a cold, blustery day like today.  I've made this a bunch of times, and it's just as good vegan as it is with the ham.

Prep time: 1 day (dried split peas must soak overnight!)
Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients:
3 c yellow split peas
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 cups water (or chicken broth if not using ham shank.  For vegan use veg. broth.)
1 ham shank (omit for vegan)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
tomatoes and bacon bits for garnish (omit bacon if using ham shank or going vegan)

Soak the split peas overnight in cold water.  Swish your hands around in the peas once and a while and pull out any pea shells that float up.

Saute the copped veg. in the olive oil for about 5 mins or until onions begin to brown.  Then add the peas, bay leaf, broth and ham shank (if using).  Bring to a boil for ten mins.  Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for three hours.

After soup has simmered, let cool and remove ham shank and bay leaf.  Discard the bay leaf.  Blend the pea soup.  (Don't do this while the soup is hot unless you have an immersion blender.  The hot soup can blow the lid off your blender, burn you and make an awful mess... I guarantee it isn't fun.)  Remove meat from ham shank and chop. Integrate into soup.  If not using ham shank, brown bacon until crispy, chop and add to top of each soup bowl as garnish.  Cut cherry tomatoes as garnish for bowls and add to bacon.  Serve.

Makes a good 12 servings, but freezes really well for quick meals at a later date.