Vinegartart

Easy and good anytime!

This is an incredibly easy soup to prepare and it is very satisfying on a cold night.  The vinegar is added at the very end to enhance the flavour.

1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves
2 cups yellow split peas
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and chopped
7 cups of water or stock
1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar
Parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. Heat butter and oil in a soup pot; add the onion, celery, garlic, ginger, bay leaf and salt; Grind cumin seeds and cloves in a spice mill (your old coffee grinder works just fine) and add them to the onion. Stir everything together and cook over a medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

2.  Add the peas together with 7 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil; then simmer until the peas have completely fallen apart, about 90 minutes.

3.  Puree the soup and return to the stove. Add more water or stock to achieve the consistency you like. Season to taste with additional salt. Start by adding one tablespoon of  vinegar.  If the soup does not sparkle or is bland add up to one tablespoon more of  the vinegar.
Serve with a spoonful of yogurt and sprinkle with parsley. Yum!