Pea and Lentil Chowder

So I forgot that one recipe actually had no pictures at all. That is this delicious recipe for pea soup. 

After Jackie made ham one night (the same night as the poached pears), we had plenty of leftover ham. In fact we still have some in the freezer. So I boiled the ham bone and crafted this recipe around traditional pea soup, but a little better. Lexie gives it an 8.5.

Pea and Lentil Chowder

Ingredients:

 1 ham bone
1 cup ham, chopped
4-5 cups of water
4 carrots, chopped into 1 inch lengths
3 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion
1 cup chicken stock
pinch of celery seeds
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cups lentils, cooked and strained
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation Instructions:
 1. In a large saucepan over medium heat,  saute the ham bone, half the onion and half the garlic until soft.

2. Add water, carrots, bay leaves and celery seeds and broil to a boil. Cook for 2-3 hours or until you have about 2 cups of ham stock in the pot.

3. Remove the ham bone and add the chicken stock, peas, white pepper, and the rest of the onion and garlic. Cook about 15 minutes or until the peas are soft.

4. Remove the bay leaves, puree the soup in a blender with the cilantro, and then return the mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Next, add the lentils, ham, and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more and then serve.

* This is delicious over mashed potatoes.