Split Pea Soup Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1.5 hours Servings: 6 Ingredients - 2 cups dried split peas, green or yellow - 2 tablespoons olive oil - 3 stalks of celery with leaves - chopped - 3 carrots - peeled and chopped - 2 cloves garlic - minced - 1 onion, large - peeled and chopped - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste - 4 cups water - 2 cups canned chicken or vegetable broth - 2 bay leaves - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme - 1 teaspoon sugar - chicken instant bouillon (to taste the last 1/2 hour)    A thick and hearty split pea soup, great topped with some crumbled feta or href="http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--3566/blue-cheese-crusted-steaks-with-red-wine-sauce.asp">blue cheese, and served	1

	with a crusty bread.   Directions Rinse the dried peas with cold water and drain thoroughly. (They do not need to be soaked. Use the food processor to chop all the vegetables with a few pulses of the steel blade; it saves a lot of time, and the soup is smoother in texture.) In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and ground pepper. Sauté until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes or longer. In a stock pot, add the sautéed vegetables and stir in the rinsed peas, water, broth, bay leaves, thyme and sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, and then, reduce the heat to simmer, and partially cover the pan. Stir occasionally. The soup should be thick and the peas soft or mushy (this may take 1 to 1 1/2 hours of cooking). Add the extra bouillon to taste, and add extra water, about 1/4 c.,  if the soup appears too thick for your liking. Remove the bay leaf before serving and discard.  Doubles easily, and freezes well.	2