Warm and filling for an autumn evening.
Ingredients
4 slices of uncured bacon (optional)
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
pinch oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups split green peas
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tsp Penzey’s Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs fresh mint, minced
Directions
1. Cut bacon into small pieces and sauté until done over medium heat in the bottom of a large saucepan. Remove bacon from pan and drain off any excess bacon grease.
2. Add olive oil to the pan. Sauté onion, scallions, carrots, celery, garlic and fennel until soft. Add oregano, bay leaf, peas, broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook one hour, stirring occasionally.
3. When peas are done, remove bay leaf and puree soup with a stick blender until consistency is smooth. Stir in sausage seasoning (salt, sugar, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, sage and thyme) and cumin. Garnish with mint and serve.
Variations
Vegan: omit bacon and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.
Low Saturated Fat: omit bacon.
