Rich Peas Soup

Ingredients

• 1 quart fine yellow split peas
• 5 quarts good brown gravy stock
• 3 onions
• 3 carrots
• 2 turnips
• butter
• salt
• cayenne
• fresh stock
• 1 large or 2 celery heads
• 1 dessertspoonful or more currie-powder
• sippets

Instructions

1. Soak the split peas overnight, then drain them well.
2. Put the drained peas into a large soup pot with five quarts of brown gravy stock and bring to a gentle boil.
3. After half an hour, slice the onions, carrots, and turnips, and fry them carefully in butter.
4. Add the fried vegetables to the peas and stew gently until the peas are reduced to pulp.
5. Season the soup well with salt and cayenne, give it two or three minutes' boil, then pass the entire soup through a sieve, pressing the vegetables through with it.
6. Pour as much soup as needed for the table into a clean saucepan.
7. Add a little fresh stock if the soup is too thick, or reduce it by quick boiling if too thin.
8. Slice the white part of fresh celery a quarter inch thick and add it to the soup.
9. Simmer the celery until tender.
10. If using currie-powder, mix it smoothly with a few spoonsful of the soup, then pour this mixture to the remainder when the soup first begins to boil after straining.
11. Send the soup quickly to table with a dish of small fried or toasted sippets.