What's for Dinner Wednesday - Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I have loved looking at lentil recipes - almost as much as I have enjoyed eating the results! They are so versitile but with the rain and cold still refusing to leave Seattle it seemed like a good night to go back to a classic, split pea soup. Now I am not sure if a split pea is technically a lentil, but in my opinion, if it looks like a lentil, and cooks like a lentil then it's a lentil. or a duck? What's that phrase? Anyway, you get the idea. So, Split Pea Soup.

I know that often there is a ham bone or even chucks of ham put into split pea soup but I am not really a fan of adding meat where it is not necessary - it's the decade of vegetarianism in me still speaking even after we broke up!

So this is a vegetarian version of the soup. I found the recipe on Food.com, and it had a ton of rave reviews and an almost 5-star rating so I thought I would try it out.
When I search recipes on the major food websites I always read through reviews and look at ratings. They can be so helpful in making sure you do not end up wasting perfectly good ingredients on a so so recipe. Sometimes there are some great tips for making the recipe successfully in the reviews, as well as additional ideas for variations on the original recipe. I will still take a chance on a recipe with only a few reviews if I am in a gambling frame of mind!

Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

* 3 cups dried split peas
* 7 cups water or vegetable stock or a combination (may need slightly more)
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 2 cups onions, minced
* 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
* 3 stalks celery, minced
* 2 medium carrots, sliced
* 1 potato, diced
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 -4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, to taste (or red wine vinegar)

Directions

First, place the first 5 ingredients into a large pot or dutch oven.

Bring to a boil and then simmer partially covered for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to stop the peas sticking on the bottom of the pot.

While the pot in simmering, saute the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and potato. And when the pea mixture is done, add them to the pot.

Partially cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally - you may need to add more liquid.

Take pan off the heat and season with pepper and vinegar.

Serve.

Simple and Delicious! And perfect on a spring evening here in the Pacific North West! If Gluten doesn't hate you, this soup can be enjoyed with a crusty loaf of french bread.

Ok, so imagine a picture right here*
I was going to snap a shot and put it here, but even the best tasting split pea soup (and I believe this may be it) looks kinda gross and this recipe is no different. If your soup is baby poop green and lumpy, you made it right. See I told you you didn't want a picture.

Hope you didn't lose your appetite!