Monday Night Split Pea Soup $5.02

I am going to admit that I am not a soup maker or eater, but my brother made this soup once and it was so thick and creamy and flavorful, I have often thought of it, so my challenge is to make my first successful soup that didnt come from a can or package. My brother said he has made it with either frozen peas or dried peas and said they are both really good. He, being a soup maker, prefers the dried, but I allready bought the frozen, and I can not break my "no going to the grocery store again this week" rule! So here is his recipe using frozen peas, feel free to swap with dried, if you feel it wont be "split pea" without split peas. I can live wth myself using frozen.(:
Recipe:
1 cup chopped carrots .30
1 cup chopped celery .35
1 cup chopped onion .25
1/2 cup chopped asparagus .50
1/2(4 strips) bacon .40
3 tablespoons minced garlic .30
2 tblsp olive oil .25
1 lb frozen peas(or dried).96
2 chicken or vegetable boulion cubes .12
s & p to taste
Total: $ 3.43 with loaf garlic bread $ 1.59, grand total $ 5.02


dice carrots, celery, onion, asparagus
in a large quart sauce pan heat olive oil medium and saute mixture until veggies are soft and onions are glassy.
Rinse and drain peas
dice bacon
add them both to veggie mixture, saute a few more minutes
add 10 cups of water and bouillon cubes, turn up heat and bring lidded pot to a boil, lower heat and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste
remove from heat and puree in blender or food processor, reheat to serve if necessary.
serve with garlic bread

BTW, my brother also said, if a really thick soup is desired, throw in a pealed and cup up potato into the pot with the peas and bacon.