Split Pea Soup for the Soul

What's right: Beef pot roast in a pressure cooker.

What's wrong: Mike Huckabee is delusional.

What's left: This is the season for split pea soup. So, I offer options to achieve soup nirvana:


Ingredients:
1 lb dry green split peas
1 tsp olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 oz reduced sodium ham steak, diced (Boar's Head)
6 cups water
1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon or 1 cube*
1 bay leaf

meld with these

Ingredients:

1 cup split peas, dried
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium potato, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

deviate further from these staple ingredients at your professional peril. 15-20 minutes under pressure, natural release. remove smoked hock, if used, and shred the meat in a separate bowl. stick blend to desired consistency. serve in a bowl with a splash of dry sherry and a dollop of sour cream and a spike of the smoked hock meat. have sourdough/peasant bread, room temperature organic butter, cream cheese, fresh smoked fish (salmon, trout), preserved anchovies, sliced hard boiled egss, chopped cornichons, red onion and capers at the ready and in plentiful amounts.