Green Split Pea Soup with Green Peas -- Definitely Pea Soup Weather -- Crock pot again

At breakfast yesterday we were reading Mother Goose nursery rhymes. We came to one about pease porridge -- you know, hot, cold, in the pot nine days old? This triggered a hankering for pea soup, so wouldn't you know it, I had to run out and buy green split peas to make some soup that very day. And that afternoon, I compounded this soup. And today, we ate it. My husband gave me skeptical, sidelong glances, doubtful that he would find pea soup to be anything other than gag worthy. I persevered, however, and we all enjoyed our pea soup today. I thought it would be fun to sprinkled some fresh parsley from our window box on it, and with tongue firmly planted in cheek I also added  a sprinkle of cubed veggie-ham. Didn't the authentic Quebecois version of this soup always include some ham or salt pork?

Well, there is nothing authentic about this version, but everything is delicious. It is bursting with a complex layering of tastes that produces a wonderfully balanced, mellow, satisfying flavour. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

125 g frozen cauliflower (this will be cooked into oblivion, and will not be a distinct flavour on its own, please note all you cauliflower-phobes out there) -- approximately 1 cups

1 cup onion, finely chopped (I used red, but any would be fine)

2 tbsp garlic finely minced

1 cup carrots, finely diced

1 1/2 cups celery, finely diced

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/16 tsp ground chipotle

dash nutmeg

1 1/2 cups dry split green peas

5 cups boiling water

1/2 tbsp marjoram

1/2 tbsp herbe de provence

black pepper to taste

1/2 tsp sea salt

125 g frozen green peas, defrosted (I recommend using organic to avoid the evil Monsanto)

directions:

1. saute the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and cauliflower in the coconut oil with the sea salt, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, chipotle, and nutmeg. Cook until everything is translucent and/ or very soft

2. put the dry split green peas, sea salt, pepper, marjoram, herbe de provence, and boiling water in the crockpot on high (crockpot cooking time was 4 hours) (do not add the frozen green peas here)

3. add the cooked veggies to the crockpot, and stir until well combined

4. Set your crockpot for 4 hours, checking occasionally if you like. When the peas kind of disintegrate, you will know the soup is ready. It will not be possible to over cook this.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the defrosted green peas.

6. serve, as we did, with a sprinkle of parsley, a red leaf lettuce and avocado salad, very stale bread toasted -- parsley, salad, and bread optional.

We're all sick with colds -- but my son has the most beautiful grey eyes.