Poor Man's Soup

Otherwise known as "the soup I made yesterday because I'm on a Christmas budget". Or you folks might know it as Split Pea Soup. This was one easy and cheap soup to make. Although this soup has never exactly screamed appealing I have to say I thought it was quite good for a rainy winter evening. I took the original recipe from Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn but I modified it a bit.

Split Pea Soup
modified from The Kitchn

4 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced or diced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups of dried split peas
6 cups broth of choice
1/2-3/4 cup of half & half

Preparation
In a large, heavy pot (about 4 quarts in size) melt the butter and add the vegetables, and cook until the onions are soft. Add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic powder, and salt & pepper and stir. Add the split peas and stir to coat with the spices and the butter, then add the broth. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for an hour. Check on the soup. It should be creamy and soft, but not so thick that it's like a pea loaf. If it's getting too thick, add a little more broth. The soup is ready when the peas are soft, about a hour to a hour & half. Puree in a blender if desired (I did about 3/4 of the soup and left the rest chunky). Add in half & half and serve.

Please excuse the iphone pics. Santa needs to bring me a god damn real camera.