Grandma's Pea Soup

I grew up eating green split pea soup. Made it a lot in my adult life. Ham bone or smoked pork hocks. Never run across a recipe quite like this. I love pasta and used to make homemade noodles for my beef stroganoff. My noodles are related to spaetzle. I rolled dough out real thin, rolled up, sliced, shook out and dropped in boiling water. Never heard of spaetzle dumplings or the spaetzle maker. Will get one real soon. My version of dumplings are the drop biscuit type that float on top of chicken soup.

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Ingredients:

1/2 pound dried whole peas

1/2 pound dried green split peas

1 meaty ham bone

3 quarts water (or chicken broth)

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery leaves

1 teaspoon bouquet garni (mixed herbs)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound smoked sausage, chopped,( optional)

Spaetzle Dumplings:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Cover peas with water and soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place in a Dutch oven.

2. Add ham bone, water and remaining soup ingredients except sausage and dumplings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

3. Remove ham bone and skim fat. Remove meat from bone; dice. Add ham and, if desired, sausage to pan.

4. For dumplings, place flour in a small bowl. Make a depression in the center of the flour; add egg and water and stir until smooth.

5. Place a colander with 3/16-in.-diameter holes over simmering soup; transfer dough to the colander and press through with a wooden spoon. Or use a spaetzle maker tool. Cook, uncovered, 10-15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Freeze Option: Prepare soup without dumplings and freeze in family-size or two-person portions. Enjoy for months to come.

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Nabbed this from:

Google Grandma's Pea Soup Taste of Home