Split Pea Soup

When fresh peas are not available or when you want to enjoy a starchier, hardier flavored legume, dried peas are perfect for a hearty split pea soup.

Since the process of cooking dried split peas produces a lot of foam, it is a good idea to pre-soak the split peas for several hours, then draining and rinsing them thoroughly under running water.

Ingredients for Split Pea Soup

• 2 cups dried split peas, sorted and rinsed 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 carrots peeled, diced fine 1 rib celery, diced fine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 slices bacon or smoked ham or sausage, chopped in small pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions for Split Pea Soup

1. In frying pan, bake bacon until crispy, drain.
2. Add to VitaClayTM pot with all other ingredients.
3. Cook on Slow Cooking - Soup for 2 hours or until peasare tender.
4. Don't fill the VitaClayTM pot too full, due to foaming.
5. Stir well, adjust the seasonings, and serve.
6. Remove and discard bay leaf
7. If you like the soup smooth and creamy,blend with hand held blender until desiredconsistency.

Makes 6 servings.

Health Note:

Dried peas, a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only can dried peas help lower cholesterol, they are also of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.

Fiber is far from all dried peas have to offer. Dried peas also provide good to excellent amounts of four important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein--all with virtually no fat. As if this weren't enough, dried peas also feature isoflavones(notably daidzein).

Isoflavones are phytochemicals that can act like weak estrogens inthe body and whose dietary consumptionhas been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, includingbreast and prostate cancer.