Awesome for a base recipe. I simmered 2lbs of dry peas for about 30 minutes, then added some chicken bouillon to the water I used for the peas. I sauteed a whole yellow onion with 2 cloves crushed garlic; once the onions were cooked clear I added a ham bone that I had frozen. I added the bone to the "water" about a lb of the peas, onions and an herb satchel(rosemary, thyme, garlic and bayleaves) and cooked on the stove until the peas lost their shape. Then I added about 2 cups each of celery, carrots and potatoes along with the rest of the peas to continue cooking. I cooked the soup for about 4 hours altogether. I served it with crispy, cheesy (Parmesan and pizza cheese blend) croûtons made from a fresh baguette. Definitely delicious. I went easy on the salt, adding it as it cooked because the ham bone was pretty salty.

Reviewed On: Oct. 22, 2009