Swedish Yellow Pea Soup Recipe

1 tbl. Vegetable oil or butter
1 large only, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
2 pinches ground cloves
3 ham hocks
8-10 cups water
1 pound dried yellow peas, rinse and picked over
1/4 tsp. Black pepper
Salt, to taste, if necessary

In a soup pot or large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrot and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ginger and cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add the ham hocks and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until hocks are beginning to get tender. Add the peas and black pepper and continue to simmer for 2 hours. Remove the ham hocks and set aside to cool slightly. Puree the soup in a blender if necessary (I did not do this).

If the soup seems too thick, add water. Taste and adjust as necessary.