Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 lb. split peas
Stock:
2 ribs celery
1 large onion or 1 large leek, cut up (if using the leek, wash it very well after pulling it apart)
3-4 carrots, cut up
Stems from a bunch of cilantro or parsley
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Tbs. mixed peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. marjoram
Soup:
1 rib celery, sliced into narrow, short sticks
1 green onion, sliced fine
20 sprigs cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbs. Tabasco green pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

1
Sort through the split peas and remove any foreign matter. Rinse the peas in a strainer, then put them into a bowl with about gallon of water. Soak overnight, or at least four hours.
2
Combine all the stock ingredients with three quarts of water. Bring to a light boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for about an hour. Strain the stock into a clean pot, and discard the stock vegetables.
3
Pour off the soaking water from the peas, and add the peas to the pot of vegetable stock, along with all the other soup ingredients. Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for two hours.
4
Pass the soup through a food mill, or push through a coarse sieve. You can also strain the soup and process the solid parts with a food processor, stopping short of a puree. Add the near-pureed peas to the soup. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste.