Yield: 6 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 pack | Split peas,green or yellow |
| 4 cups | Thinly sliced celery |
| 1 \N | Large onion,chopped |
| ½ pounds | Boned lamb shoulder or neck* |
| 2 \N | Garlic cloves,chopped |
| 1 \N | Large dried bay leaf |
| 7 cups | Chicken broth |
* - cut into ½" chunks
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1. Sort peas, discarding any debris. Rinse peas; drain, and set aside.
2. In a 5-6 quart pan over high heat, combine celery, onion, lamb, garlic, bay leaf, and ½ cup water. Cover and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes. Uncover, turn heat to high, and stir often until browned bits stick in pan. Deglaze by adding ⅓ cup water and stirring to scrape browned bits free. Stir often until liquid evaporates and browned bits form again. Repeat deglazing step several more times until vegetables are a rich brown, about 30 minutes total. 3. To pan, add split peas and 7 cups chicken broth; bring to a boil on high heat. Cover and simmer until peas mash easily, about 1 hour. 4. Discard bay leaf. (You can chill soup atthis step, and continue the next day.) Transfer 3 cups soup (but no meat) to a blender or food processor. Whirl until smoothly pureed. Return to pan. For thinner soup, add more broth. Stir on high heat until hot.