23 Sep, 2011
Will they eat it: Pease porridge, er, pea soup
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Recipes and Food
Do you remember this little rhyme?
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
I’ve never really thought about it before today, but according to Wikipedia, the rhyme refers to a type of porridge made from peas, pease pudding, also known as pease pottage (in Middle English).
I like pea soup. Hot. And for the record, I definitely don’t like it when it’s been sitting around for nine days. Ha ha.
Did you know that pea soup was a staple meal for sea-faring folks once upon a time? Ease of storage must have been a big reason for this, but it also doesn’t take much to make something out of them. A few cups of peas, an old onion, some water and a ham hock can make a great dinner for a shipload of pirates. Arrrrgh matey, think of the fibrrrrrre!
I was in the grocery store when I had a sudden hankering for split pea soup, but I’ve been leery since the last time I tried to make it. So I gave myself a pep talk, made a mid-aisle U-turn, and checked all the packages of dried peas for one with a recipe on the back.
Here is the result:
The recipe is a little bit non-traditional, not like the soupe aux pois commes les habitants, but it’s cheap and makes a good hearty lunch. And it’s very easy. I added a bit of cooked bacon to it (otherwise it would have been totally vegetarian), and it was good, but I think the next time I make pea soup I’m going to add some sausage and really kick it up a notch.
Here’s the recipe I used:
Pea Soup for Pirates
1 large minced onion
1 minced clove of garlic
1 cup dried split green peas
6 cups of water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp celery salt
black pepper to taste
1 shredded carrot
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
In a large pot, saute onions and garlic until softened. Add cumin and stir it in, heating until fragrant. Add the celery salt, pepper, peas, and water. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat, leave covered and simmer 60-90 minutes until they’re tender. Add the grated carrot and parsley and simmer another 15 minutes. Serve to your hungry pirates before they set out for the seven seas.
Got a recipe to recommend? I’m all ears.
p.s. OF COURSE THE KIDS DIDN’T EAT IT. Silly rabbits. But they tried it. Which is good. And I’m ok with that.
