Peeeeea Soooooup!

Ok, so quite awhile back went to Mimi's Cafe for lunch and got the soup that came with my meal. Usually I'll try and get a cream based soup, as Clam Chowder is my *favorite,* but for whatever reason I was feeling kinda adventurous so decided to get their pea soup. Growing up I did not like it at all, looked horrible and clumpy and just can't ever remember it being all that appetizing. However this time, it was amazing! Loved it! Was sooooo good and definitely hit the spot. 

Since then I looked around for various pea soup recipes to find one that I could easily make at home that didn't require that much effort. And the reason I'm posting is ... SUCCESS! I've found one that I really enjoy and has been really easy to make. By now I've already made it 3 times or so now, so I'm at the point where I can share how I've made it etc. It's essentially Alton Brown's recipe that I've tweaked just a little to get the results I like. And this is great with some toasted croutons (herb breads taste the best!) and fresh parmesan sprinkled on top. Sooooooo good! It's now coming up on warmer weather so not as weather appropriate, but on those days where it's cooler and you just want a little something something to warm you up this is perfect! Oh, and one more thing, this gets better and better after it sits, so leftovers taste great!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp butter (Alton's calls for unsalted, but I've never had that on hand so I just use salted)
• 1 med-large size onion depending on how much onion you like-the flavor doesn't come off really strong so if you can use a lot if you like
• 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
• 1 lb bag of dried green split peas
• 6 cups chicken broth (use either canned or bullion, tried it both ways, haven't noticed a change in taste)
• 2 Tbsp curry paste (the original recipes calls for powder, I've only ever used paste because that's what I generally use in my cooking-I imagine either way is just fine)
• 1 cup - 1.5 cups of cubed ham-best if you use ham off the bone instead of processed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

PREPARATION (Copied directly from Alton Brown's Recipe):

Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Instant Pot Directions: Cook on high pressure for 15 min, natural release 10-15 min

Note: I generally let it simmer for a full hour so I don't end up with any hard pieces in the peas. And because I don't have an immersion blender I ladle out 2/3 to 3/4 of the peas/onion into a blender and blend it up and then pour it back in.  I've done it where I've actually blended up all of it, and while it works, it just ends up being goopy without any shape, so it's better if you leave some of it unblended-though if you do it this way, you may want to do a finer chop of your onion at the beginning.

I have noticed on occasion too that it can get more soupy than thick, so you can just add some cornstarch to a couple Tbsp of cold water and add in after the blending bit and bring it back up to a boil. I imagine if you wanted the soup to stretch farther if you've got guests etc. you could add more water/chicken stock at the beginning and than to thicken it up use the same method.

As well, as the original recipe didn't call for any ham, I just add it in at the end to the pot after adding back in the blended portion. You can simmer it for an additional 5 min or so just to get the ham up to temp. Serve with croutons and cheese on top!