After cooking so many pound of beans, it's amazing to watch how quickly peas and lentils cook. Our green split peas are ready in around 30 to 40 minutes, and you can't mess them up — they're meant to be mush!
The salty prosciutto topping is a nice touch, but is not a necessity.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup uncooked Rancho Gordo Green Split Peas, sorted and rinsed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Fried prosciutto, ham, or bacon, for garnish (optional)
Serves 2 to 4
- In a soup pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaf and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peas and 4 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the peas are completely tender. Towards the end of cooking, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf.
- Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), puree the soup until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add some hot water to thin it out to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding lemon juice to taste.
- Serve hot, garnished with prosciutto, if desired, and black pepper.