Dinner in a Hurry

It's been busy around the house the last few days. We finally had the basement drywalled and painted, after ten years of talking about it, and everything that was stuffed in that hideous, dark, dusty room is now spread throughout the house and garage. It's going to take the rest of the week to get it all back in there.

All this hullabaloo has made cooking difficult - it was dusty and noisy and all the mess was way too close to my kitchen oasis. The crew worked long days, leaving late, so I got into the kitchen with a hungry husband hovering. I just focused on food that could be made quickly with whatever was in the house.

I reverted to my favorite quick recipes - those that can be thrown together in less than an hour. This is a vegetarian, nothing fancy, but always satisfying, split pea soup. Less than an hour from simmer to dinner.

(Sorry there are no photos - the camera was never handy in the last few days.)

Simply Delicious Split Pea Soup

2 Tbls Olive Oil
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into discs
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tsp fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1.5 c split peas, rinsed
6 c vegetable broth (I keep Penzey's Vegetable Broth Starter in my pantry)
4 small yukon gold potatoes, diced
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
Add the onions and cook gently for a few minutes, until transparent. Generously season with salt & pepper.
Add the garlic, cook for a minute or two, then add the carrots and celery.
Toss to coat with oil and cook until everything is softened and edges are getting a little brown.
Add the thyme, stir and toss to cook for a minute or two.
Add the split peas, stir and toss to coat with the oil and veggies, then add the broth and bring to a boil.
Stir. Add the potatoes, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Blend half the soup in the blender and add it back to the unblended soup. Or use an immersion blender and blend for a minute or two, leaving it a little chunky. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Serve with bread or biscuits or even with some croutons floated on top.
If there's a carnivore in the house, you could serve a little country ham on that biscuit.