Split Pea Soup

It's that time of the year where the ground is covered in snow, and I can see the trees shivering from the cold. And the only weapon I have in my arsenal against the bitter cold of Chicago is to make soup. Lots and lots of soup.

So often we think of soup in the big, grandiose, boil a chicken carcass all day to make broth way. But soup can be easy, hearty, and healthy, and a great way to make a meal on a weekday night.

My split pea soup is a great weekday night recipe because the prep is minimal and you let it cook on its own, unsupervised. Also, it doesn't begin with a whole ham hock!

Weekday Split Pea Soup

1 bag (1 pound) dried split peas
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
3-4 cups water (depending on if you prefer thick or medium soup)
Fresh ground pepper
Optional: ham

Put everything in a pot. Bring to a boil. Put top on, reduce to simmer. Cook for 1-2 hours until the peas have become pleasantly mushy. That's it!

I rarely have cubed ham just lying around, but to make this a meal, it needs a little more than just the soup. So since I usually have ham lunchmeat handy, I warm some up in a pan and place a little on top of the soup. If you cook the lunchmeat in the soup, it won't hold up to the 2 hours of cooking, so it's necessary to wait to add it. Then toast up some bread to dip in, and you've got a tasty, hot and hearty meal to get you through the week!

Butternut Squash Soup with Wild Rice and Andouille Sausage

Recently, I was wandering through the produce market, and saw a huge stand full of butternut squashes. (Squashes? Squash? Squashi? What's the plural of squash?) Now, I know this is a wonderful fall vegetable, but to be completely honest, I had never, ever tried it. I've seen it in plenty of recipes, but never even eaten it out at a restaurant. But I couldn't help myself, I had to pick one up and give it a shot!

After combing through butternut squash soup recipes, I came across one I just couldn't pass up. It was a soup recipe that wasn't just pureed squash, but also had sausage and rice and, well, flavor and texture. If I was going to make this a full dinner, it needed to be more than just pureed squash. So I grabbed the recipe, adapted it slightly, and the result was fantastic!

Butternut Squash Soup with Wild Rice and Andouille Sausage
adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash, and Wild Rice Soup

Start with one butternut squash.




Core it, removing all the seeds and membrane, and cube it, removing all skin. Then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.



Spread out the squash on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender.




Remove from oven, and let cool completely. This is a good thing to do waaaaaaay before you intend to make the soup, so you're not anxiously waiting for the squash to cool.

When your squash has cooled, puree it with 1 cup of chicken stock.




Setting the puree aside, move on to your wild rice. Begin cooking 1 cup of wild rice in 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover. This will take upwards of 45 minutes, so check often to make sure the rice does not get too dry. Additional water may be necessary. Cook until the rice is just barely less than al dente, so just slightly underdone.

Once the rice is on, begin cutting up the andouille sausage. Emeril's recipe calls for smoked sausage, but I found some awesome Amy's Chicken Andouille Sausage that has way more flavor and is much healthier for you, and I think it made a world of difference.



Sautee your andouille with one medium white onion, chopped, and some olive oil.




Sautee until the onions begin to brown and become soft, and brown bits start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, add 3 cups of chicken stock and your squash puree.



Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Next, add the cooked wild rice.



Then add 3/4 cup whole milk and a handful of chopped Italian parsley.



Simmer for 10 minutes. During the final 10 minutes, get out your bowls, and toast up some nice, crusty sourdough bread.

Serve up, and enjoy!