Split Pea Soup

Sorry mom. I didn't like split pea soup, even though you made it with love. It was green, grainy mush with creepy ham bits in it. I'm sure it's not really as bad as I remember it being when I was a kid, but gawd I would have eaten grass off the front lawn instead, if I'd had a choice! Recently, I went to the Atlanta farmer's market and saw a bag of dry yellow split peas and decided that for under a buck, I could give 'em another shot. It was totally worth it! This soup is colorful, flavorful and delicious... even Ethan loved it.

Split Pea Soup

1 lb dry yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 large vegetable bullion square
1 tsp salt
several dashes freshly-ground black pepper
8 cups water

Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, then add carrot and celery and cook another 5 minutes or so, until soft. Add remaining ingredients (or transfer to a large soup pot, if you're not using the same pan) and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 45 minutes to an hour, until peas are very tender and falling apart. (Some people recommend putting some or all of the soup through a blender, but I like the texture as is.) Serve hot with whole-grain toast or dinner rolls, yum.