Grandma Sofie's Split Pea Soup with French Bread Croutons

Yield > 6
Servings
Ingredients :
SOUP
1 lb Split peas
1/2 lb Bacon
1 lrg Onion, chopped
2 lrg Stalks celery
3 tbl Parsley, chopped
CROUTONS
1 loaf sourdough French bread
1/4 cup Butter, or more if needed
1 x Garlic clove, minced (opt.)
Method :
• This is NOT low-fat, low-calorie, or low _anything_ for
that matter, but absolutely delicious and an all-time family
favorite!
• Rinse peas in cold water and bring to a boil in 3 quarts of
water. Cut bacon small and brown with onion. Add with
drippings to peas. Cook until peas are soft and just starting to
disintegrate, about one hour, stirring occasionally to prevent
the solids from settling out and sticking to the bottom of the
pot. Chop celery small and add with parsley to the soup and
cook until the celery is soft, about 15 minutes more. Thin with
water if necessary to the proper consistency; it should be like
light cream with little bits of pea still visible. If too thick, it is
more like 'pea porridge' and not as appetizing.
• Meanwhile, make the croutons. Cut the bread (leave
crust on) into 3/4" cubes. Melt the butter in a frying pan
(Grandma Sofie used a heavy cast iron one), and when the
foam is just through dying down but before the butter begins
to brown, add the bread cubes in batches sized according to
the size of your pan: The croutons should never be more than
one layer deep.
• Sometimes Grandma Sofie sauteed a little bit of garlic in
the butter before adding the bread and sometimes not - the
croutons are good both ways. I think that living all of her life in
California sometimes overrode her German upbringing and
that's how the garlic snuck in!
• Fry the bread cubes over MEDIUM heat until dark golden,
stirring and tossing frequently to brown on all sides. Take your
time about this, as if you get the butter too hot it will burn and
taste bitter. If the croutons are done correctly, they will be
crisp and fairly dry and light enough to float on top of the
soup.
• Ladle the hot soup into bowls and pass the croutons in a
basket for each person to add at the table.
• Note that you _could_ get by with a half a loaf of French
bread for the croutons, but only if you're alone while you're
making the soup. Otherwise, the croutons have a tendency to
'dissappear' when you're not looking!
• was one of those cooks who never used recipes; I wrote
this down one time while watching her make it. - Linda
Hurlbert Shogren