A.'s Original Split Pea Soup

I planned on having split pea soup this week. I didn't make the recipe Emily just posted because I remembered I had one to try. It's another from Tonya Campbell, number 51027. I wonder who A. is?

2 c (1 lb) split peas
2 qts water
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 t thyme
pinch cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf (or 2-3)
Salt and Pepper
Diced Ham

Boil for 20 minutes, simmer until peas are soft; put through strainer (we use blender). Bring back to a boil and serve. Sprinkle ham on top.

Yum. I liked that this recipe had carrot (I omitted the celery), but it would have been better cooked in broth. I put in some bouillon instead of salt, and it helped give it some extra flavor. My bag of split peas said to not put in the salt until the peas were cooked, which I obeyed. They still could have been a little more done. I think the high altitude makes them take longer.

I liked it and decided we needed to have split pea soup more often. O loved it and complained every time I took a break feeding him to take a bite myself. He ate all of his and half of C's. C pronounced it "yucky" after glancing at it, and then was forced to take a bite in order to get a roll to eat. Then she pronounced it "yuuuuuuuuummy." Brian said he liked it too, but he got home late, so I wasn't in the kitchen when he ate. I couldn't gauge his real response.