Most Californians who drive north or south on Interstate 5 (I-5) look forward to the pea soup at Andersen's. Is it so great or is the ride so boring that any sensation other than a hot car seat excites the soul? I think it's pretty darn good.

It's seems very Dutch with some ham and aromatics. I've been with fussy children who wants burgers and then end up loving the soup. I even remember one licking the bowl, which is something a parent is supposed to discourage but I was so happy that split peas were such a hit that I looked the other way, after making sure no one else was looking. 

Sadly, we heard that Andersen's is now closed. 

I didn't have any ham and my plan was to cook it with aromatics and water and then top it with fried prosciutto but I never got that far. 

I sauteed the raw peas with onion, garlic, 2 stalks of celery, and a bay leaf. I was going to use carrot as well but sometimes this classic combination has a baby food quality and I wanted this to be sharp and savory, so no sweet carrots. I used about half a pound of unsoaked, but cleaned, peas. After adding about two inches of water and bringing it to a full boil for 5 minutes, I let it simmer about half an hour. Timing isn't so exact since the soup is generally pureed anyway. 

After cooking so many pounds of beans, it's always a treat to see how fast peas and lentils cook. It was about 30 minutes but I wasn't paying close attention. As I said, the plan was to top it with crispy-fried prosciutto but once I tasted the simple soup, I didn't think it needed any help. I did drizzle olive oil and then lemon and it was perfect. 

If you find your self experimenting beyond classic ham and pea soup, let us know.