Spanish-style Split Pea Soup

• servings: Serves 6 to 8 as an entr

Ingredients

Pam cooking spray

2 cups dried split peas

2•25 L vegetable stock

1 large onion, sliced

2 carrots, scrubbed or peeled and sliced

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 bay leaves

1 box (250g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Salt to taste

¼ cup olive oil

3 onions, chopped

6 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Additional minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Spray a large soup pot with Pam, and in it combine the split peas, stock, sliced onion, carrots, 2 cloves of the garlic, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, 1 hour. Add the spinach and season with the salt (at least 1 teaspoon). Continue to simmer another 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove the bay leaves, then purée the soup in a food processor.

2. Meanwhile in a 10-inch skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they start to soften, 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until the onions are wilted, another 6 to 8 minutes. Turn down the heat further to very low and cook, stirring often, until the onions are meltingly soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes more. (Watch so that they don't burn.)

3. Add the tomatoes to the onions, increase the heat to. medium-low, and cook down until very thick, reducing the heat as the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat. Put the remaining 3 cloves garlic through a garlic press and add to the tomato mixture. Stir in the fresh herbs and plenty of freshly ground pepper.

4. Stir the tomato-onion mixture

(called sofregit and a seasoning staple of

Spanish cuisine) into the pea purée, and heat

through. Serve at once, garnished with ad-

ditional parsley, or let stand overnight and

reheat the next day.

Notes

Dairy Hollow House: soup & bread