Andersons' Pea Soup

This recipe comes from the famous Andersen family.. Somewhere down the line...it's been referred to as Andersen's Pea Soup. I looked this up on line....and now I realize it's been around for years. I still remember my mother in law coming home saying that she had the recipe to Andersen's Famous Pea Soup.

We love this recipe and on a cold day, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup, which brings a spirit of wholesome family warmth around the table.

Ingredients

• Two quarts of water
• 2 cups green split peas
• 1 stalk of celery chopped
• 1 large carrot chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 pinch of cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Fill pot with water, add bay leaf and bring to a boil.
2. Add split peas and boil hard for 20 minutes, then turn heat down until peas are tender.
3. It suggests to strain through fine sieve and reheat to boiling point. I skip this process.
   
4. Add celery, carrots and onion to pot and continue to simmer slowly for 1 hour.
5. Add about 1/2 pound farmer sausage.
   
6. Add spices.
   
7. Add extra boiling water if it becomes to thick.

I do not strain my soup as I love the chunky peas the way they are...and it becomes quite tender while adding the other ingredients to the stock.
I love to add farmer sausage or bacon to this soup....It just adds that extra smoked flavor.
I served it for supper tonight...and the bowls are all licked empty, once again.