Split Pea Soup From Green Pea Flour

We love split pea soup, but don’t always have the time to make it. Since we try to avoid the overly-salty canned versions, if we’re in a hurry, we make split pea soup from the flour of green peas. Many stores now carry green pea flour, but it's also easy to make if you have a grain grinder. Because this soup only cooks for 5 minutes (rather than the hour required if you cook the peas by the traditional method), the color is more of a “spring green” than an olive green. In addition, the flavor isn’t as developed and can only be described as “green.” But, it’s still good and worth trying.

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) of chicken broth
1/2 cup dried carrot slices
1/3 cup dried onion pieces
1/4 cup dried celery slices
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup green pea flour (this requires that you grind about 1/4 cup dried split peas)
Cooked or canned ham or bacon (optional)
           
Directions

1. Place the canned chicken broth in a medium-size pot. Stir in the carrot slices, onion pieces, and celery slices and allow to soak until the vegetables are tender (you can speed this step by simmering the broth).
2. Once the vegetables are tender, bring the broth to a boil.
3. Place the cold water in a separate medium-size bowl, and whisk in the pea flour to remove all lumps.
4. Pour the pea flour mixture into the broth mixture and whisk until blended.
5. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. When it has reached the desired consistency (it will thicken as it cooks), remove from the heat and stir in cooked ham or bacon. Makes approximately 4 cups.

Split Pea Soup from Green Pea Flour