My Favorite Fall Soup

Brigham loves soups. Whenever I ask him what he wants for dinner he usually answers soup. It does not matter if it 100 degrees outside or a blizzard blowing, he always wants soup. I make a lot of soups. One of my favorite soups to make in the fall is "Yellow Pea Soup". It is made with yellow split peas, carrots, and butternut squash. But I have to confess, what I love the most about this soup is not its taste (although it is wonderful) but its brilliant yellow color. This soup freezes well so I double the recipe and freeze half of it for the days I just do not want to cook.

Yellow Pea Soup

4 TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium sized turnip, dice (I use potatoes instead, I don't like turnips)

8 cups water (I also add in some vegetable bouillon, I think it gives the soup a deeper flavor)

half a butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (I have also used Hubbard squash and pumpkin with very delicious results, and a much more brilliant color than butternut squash)

1 1/2 cups of yellow split peas

1 sprig of thyme (or 1 tsp of dry thyme)

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

1. heat the oil in large pot. Add onions and saute over medium heat until the onions turn soft. Add celery, carrot, and turnip (potato) and continue sauteing for another minute.

2. Add water, chunks of squash, split peas, thyme, bay leaf and parsley. cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.

3. Cook soup slowly, over medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes or until peas are totally dissolved. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Depending on personal preference, serve immediately (it will be a little chunky) or puree in blender for a smoother soup. Or if you don't have a blender, just cook a little longer.

*This recipes comes from a cookbook I found at the library Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor D'Avila-Latourrett. It is a gem for soups.