Cream of Asparagus Soup

We made this several weeks ago with some of the asparagus we froze back in June. It was delicious!
 Cream of Asparagus Soup
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of asparagus ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 pinches ground black pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, chopped onion, and 1 cup chicken broth. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Process the mixture in a blender to puree the vegetables (we used an immersion blender). Set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Stir in the asparagus puree and the milk.
3. Put the sour cream in a small bowl, and stir in a ladleful of the hot soup. Add the sour cream mixture and the lemon juice to the soup. Stir while heating the soup to serving temperature, but don't allow it to boil. Serve immediately.

Cumin Wheat Berry Soup

We inherited 100 lbs of wheat from Aaron's mom. So Aaron searched for a way to use the wheat besides grinding it.  He found this recipe and it was delicious.  I will forever regret moaning when my mother made soup with barley in it.  I'm looking forward to leftovers!  I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my pressure cooker.  So that's how I cooked the wheat.  Really easy and quick!  Aaron ate the leftover wheat berries for breakfast! 

• 1 1/2 cups French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large large carrots, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries,
• 1 bunch rainbow or red chard, large stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped*
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Combine lentils, broth and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes (brown lentils take a little longer than green).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat.
3. When the lentils are tender, stir cooked wheat berries and chard into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.

 *We used spinach instead of chard.

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

 We have been scouring the internet for all sorts of Pressure Cooker recipes.  Here's one that Aaron made.  He found it on dadcooksdinner.com .  His post gives all sorts of hints and tips for cooking with a pressure cooker.  If you are new to using a pressure cooker you should check it out.

Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 1/4 cup table salt
• 4 quarts water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

For Cooking the beans:

• 5 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional - 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp salt 
• pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp parsley 

Directions:

1. Sort, rinse, and brine the black beans: Sort the black beans, removing any stones, clods of dirt, or bad looking beans. Rinse the beans, put them in a large container, cover with 1/4 cup salt and 4 quarts water, and stir to dissolve the salt. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

 2. Saute the aromatics and spices: Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in the pressure cooker until shimmering. Add the onion and red pepper, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Saute until the onion and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Make a hole in the middle of the onions and add the garlic, cumin, coriander and oregano; let sit in the pan for 1 minute or until you can smell the garlic cooking, then stir into the onions. Cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes, until the onions show a hint of browning.

 3. Cook the black beans: Drain the black beans, rinse them thoroughly, then add them to the pressure cooker. Add the water, bay leaf, and 1 tbsp olive oil, stir, then scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure none of the onions are sticking. Bring the cooker up to high pressure, then pressure cook the black beans for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes.
*Check the beans to make sure they are cooked through and tender. If not, either bring the pressure cooker back to high pressure for another 3 minutes, or simmer for ten minutes, until cooked to your liking. 

4. Finish the soup: Thicken the soup by pureeing 2 cups of the beans. I use a stick blender directly in the pot; moving 2 cups of beans and liquid to a blender also works. Add the lime juice, then taste for seasoning, and add salt pepper and parsley.

Lentil Stew with Ham

We cooked up a ham on Sunday, and had plenty of leftovers.  I didn't have any split peas on hand, so I found a lentil stew recipe.  The original recipe was for a crockpot, but I didn't have that much time.  It was delicious!

Lentil Stew

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 8 teaspoons tomato sauce

In a 4 quart or larger pot combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Boil for 15-20 minutes.  Then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Best Duck Chili Recipe Ever

Aaron went duck hunting on Saturday.  He brought home a lot of duck meat, so he searched for a good recipe.  Like me he can't leave a recipe alone, so this is what ended up making.  It was delicious!  It wasn't very spicy, so feel free to add more peppers, or hot sauce to the final product.

• 1 (5 to 6-pound) duck (3-4 breasts)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 quart canned tomatoes
• 1 pound ground pork or Turkey
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 3 poblano chiles, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, chopped
• 8 tortilla chips, finely crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. Remove the duckmeat from the bones. Remove the skin from the meat. Cut the meat into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork, cook until browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the chopped garlic and duckmeat, cook until duck is browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with ground spice mix, masa harina and flour. Cook, stirring, until flour is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, red pepper, poblanos and jalapeno. Lower the heat to medium, add the chicken stock and chopped canned green chiles.
4. Crumble the corn chips into a blender. Ladle out enough of the chili liquid to cover the tortillas in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add back to chili. Simmer on low heat for 8-10 hours. Season, to taste, with salt. Keep on simmer until serving.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Serve, garnished with scallions and sour cream.

Butternut Squash Soup

I have an abundance of butternut squash (I only planted one seed).  Now that we've had a light frost the plant is dead, and I finally have some ripe squash.  Aaron found this recipe and it is so simple and delicious!  We liked it really thick and didn't add any extra stock.

Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 (32 oz) container chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender (I use an immersion blender and blend it right in the pot), and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Egg Drop Soup

I made this tonight, and it was delicious!!!  One serving is only about 70 calories so it really is healthy, although it's packed with sodium.  I halved it and it was perfect for our family of 5 with a little bit left over.  I suppose some kids didn't get a full serving. I also used frozen peas and carrots because I ran out of raw carrots. It was delicious and everyone but Amy loved it.  Once again another hit recipe from Jamie!

Healthy Egg Drop Soup

12 C water

11 bullion cubes

1/2 C chopped carrots

1/2 C frozen peas

2 T soy sauce

1/2 T rice vinegar

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 t sesame oil

2-4 T olive oil

4 beaten eggs

1/2 bunch green onions, chopped.

1. Place all ingredients but the eggs, green onions, and the peas in a large pot.
2. Bring to a hard rolling boil. Let it just a keep on boiling until your carrots are tender.
3. Add your peas let it boil until they are heated through. This shouldn't take long, only 2 minutes or so.
4. Add your eggs while the soup is still at the hard rolling boil. They should cook up pretty fast for you.
4. Remove from the heat when the eggs are cooked and add your green onions. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

This is the soup I made for the Relief Society dinner.  I did use vegetable broth, but it would be good with chicken broth as well.  I didn't use quite as much cabbage as it called for., and I substituted garbanzo beans for the kidney beans, and shell pasta for the orzo pasta, and I didn't have any zucchini.  Wow, I didn't realize I'd changed the recipe that much.  But it was delicious!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 large head cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot combine the vegetable stock, the undrained tomatoes, potato, onion, celery, carrot, cabbage and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, corn, zucchini and pasta; simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

I was looking for a different way to use up the leftover turkey from Christmas.  I also had some canned pumpkin left over from making the pie for Christmas.  I didn't tel anyone what was in it until they had eaten it.  We all loved it, and they still thought it was  good even after finding out there was pumpkin in it!  I only had a little bit of green pepper, but it worked.  And I used chunks of cooked turkey instead of ground turkey.

 Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 dash salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Creole Fish Soup

This is a recipe Aaron made up, and I wrote down what he did.
Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 lb fish (we used pink salmon)
• 2 quarts tomatoes
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 1 Tbsp creole seasoning
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 6 oz small shell pasta

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Cook fish until done about 10 minutes, set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan combine tomatoes, artichoke hearts and onions.  Season with creole seasoning, basil and oregano.  Heat to boiling.
3. Add pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente about 8 minutes.  
4. Add fish and heat through.

Danish Potato Soup

 I made this with the leftover ham bone from Easter.  It was so good!  I used 4 potatoes, and I only had a couple of green onions, and only dried parsley.  I have heavy whipping cream, so I diluted it with milk.  It was really easy, and delicious.  Lots of veggies!
Danish Potato Soup

• 1 ham bone
• water
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 green onions, sliced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light cream
• ground nutmeg

In a soup kettle, bring ham bone and 2 quarts water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until meat pulls away from the bone. Remove ham bone. When cool enough to handle, trim any meat and dice. Discard bone. Return ham to kettle along with potatoes, onions, celery, parsley, cabbage and carrots; cook 40 minutes. Stir together flour and 1/4 cup cold water. Slowly pour into the soup, stirring constantly. Bring soup to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in cream. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg on each bowlful just before serving. 

Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Chowder

I combined two recipes that I found. We tried this recipe first at my in-law's house (on Spring Break back in '10). The second recipe came from Jamie's blog. This recipe is the result.

Makes about 8 servings

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 14.5-ounce cans corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 chicken breasts

4-5 T. taco seasoning ( I did this to taste...however much you want)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp lime juice

Toppings
shredded Pepperjack cheese
shredded cheddar cheese 
diced avocado
sour cream
tortilla chips

In a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker pour tomatoes, beans, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place chicken breasts on top of vegetables. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.

Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with a fork. 

Add the 1/2 t lime juice, 1/3 C sour cream and 2 T butter to the soup. Whisk it in until the butter has melted and the sour cream is well combined. Stir in shredded chicken and taco seasoning.

Top with shredded cheeses, avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips! Yum!

Baked Potato Soup

Sorry for the long hiatus. With the holidays and the surgery I wasn't making a whole lot of new meals. But I have done a few new things. I hope I get to them all.
First up Baked Potato Soup
I really messed with the recipe. I was trying to make it slightly larger to feed another family. But I only had 6 slices of bacon. So this is what I came up with.

6 slices of bacon
1/2 c. onion, diced
3/4 c margarine or butter
3/4 c flour
4 cups milk
3 cups water
3 chicken bullion cubes
7 small potatoes baked, peeled and diced
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (mine was cheddar jack)
1 c. sour cream
2 green onions chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat (I added some bacon grease for flavor). Sautee onions until tender. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, water an bullion cubes, stirring constantly until thickened.
   
3. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and green onions, bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.

They recommended using baker potatoes that were oven baked. If they were baked earlier and cooled it might be easy, but I microwaved mine and then tried to peel and cut them. It took to long. It would have been easier peel and dice them and then boil them. Then you can use the water for the soup.
It was really good and creamy - probably because I used whole milk - it was about to go bad.

Potato and Onion Soup

I found this in my Wymount ward cookbook. Submitted by Jennifer T*. Very simple and good. Perfect for a rainy fall day like today. I used 1 c whole milk and 1 c. skim milk.

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 c. potato, cubed or sliced
1 1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. half & half
1 tsp. chopped parsley

In a sauce pan melt butter. Add onion and celery and saute until tender, but not brown. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper and potatoes. (Add enough chicken broth to just barely cover the vegetables) Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to med-low. Simmer until potatoes are tender - about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in milk, half & half and parsley. Warm through.

For a variation add 1/2 lb. cooked spicy sausage.

Ham Bone Soup

I found this recipe to use up our leftover ham bone from Easter- yah, I'm a little behind in posting things. I didn't have a green pepper, instead I put in a bag of frozen veggies. I also didn't use that much bouillon, only 4 I think. I thought it was really good.

Ham Bone Soup

• 1 ham bone with some meat
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
• 4 cups water
• 6 cubes chicken bouillon

1. Place the ham bone, onion, tomatoes, kidney beans, potatoes, and green pepper into a 3 quart or larger slow cooker. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in water, and pour into the slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on High until warm. Reduce heat to Low, and continue to cook for 5 to 6 hours

Carrot Apple Soup

I made this last week - it was soooo good. Perfect for the cold day. Since it was just me and the boys (Aaron's working nights) I halved the recipe and still had a little leftover for lunch. I didn't have any celery, but it would have been great with it. I also used and immersion blender, and a few carrots didn't get pureed, oops. David didn't want to eat it at first, but then I asked him to just try it, and he loved it. It reminded him of split pea soup.

Carrot Apple Soup

• 1 tablespoon reduced fat margarine
• 8 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan, melt the margarine. Add carrots, apples, onion and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, sage, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove bay leaf. Cool soup for 5 minutes. Puree one-third at a time in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan; cover and cook over medium until heated through.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this on Monday. I was feeling ambitious and almost made my own noodles. But I ran out of time. I had the chicken bones from the chicken we roasted on Sunday. I made a chicken broth with that in the morning and made the soup quickly in the evening.
I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I didn't have frozen vegetables. I just used carrots.

4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 c medium noodles or other small pasta
2 c cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, cut up

In a large saucepan combine chicken broth, onion, basil, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in vegetables (I had cooked carrots from making the broth and added them with the chicken at the end). Bring to a boil; stir in uncooked noodles. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 8 minutes or till noodles are tender but still firm and vegetables are crisp tender. Discard bay leaf. Stir in chicken or turkey and undrained tomatoes; heat through.

Creamy Potato Soup

I got this from a class I took at BYU. Nikki brought it in. I changed a few things in the directions. This makes a lot, so you can halve it for 4 servings.

3 c. chicken broth
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. onion, chopped
5 c. potatoes, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. butter or margarine
3/4 c. flour
1 qt half & half ( I used milk)
2 c. grated cheese (8 oz)

Mix broth, celery, onions, potatoes salt and pepper in a 4 qt pot. Cook for 10 minutes.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Mix in flour thoroughly with a wire whisk. Add milk and mix until thick and bubbly. Add in cheese and mix until melted.
Add cheese sauce to vegetables. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender - no more than 30 minutes.

Garbanzo Tomato Pasta Soup

This was very easy, and very good. I used 4 cups of chicken broth to cook the noodles in, and used a little over 1 cup of sea shell pasta. I didn't have a 28 oz can of tomatoes, so I used one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, and one 14.5 oz can of Italian stewed tomatoes. I also cooked the onions and garlic in a 4 qt pot while the pasta was cooking, then added the remaining ingredients to the onions instead of to the pasta. When the pasta was done I drained about 1 cup of liquid off and then added the rest to the larger pot. It made it a little thicker. I really liked it and the kids did too. Again, not my picture they added cheese to their soup.

Garbanzo Tomato Pasta Soup

• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup small seashell pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Stir into pasta and add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

Split Pea and Potato soup

I found this in an old Reader's Digest Healthy cookbook that I got at half-price books. I thought it was really good especially with my home made croutons. I didn't have any low-sodium broth, the regular stuff had to do.

1 Tbsp margarine
1 med onion, chopped
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1/2 c dried split green peas, rinsed and sorted
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (I diced them)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat. Add the onion and cook uncovered until soft - about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth and water and bring to a boil - about 4 minutes. Add the peas and potatoes, adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the peas and potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

*In an electric blender or food processor, puree the soup in 5 batches, whirling each batch about 15 seconds. Return to the pan, set over low heat and bring to serving temperature, stirring often. Add the pepper.

*I have an immersion blender so I just pureed the soup in the pan, no need to cool or reheat.