Souper Duper

During our trip to and from Anaheim, we stopped at Pea Soup Andersen's both directions so I could indulge myself in their pea soup, which I like a lot. On the way back, I bought a package of their pea soup mix, and over the weekend, I made a batch from their recipe. Now I understand why their soup comes out so different from my own concoction. Their recipe requires you to strain the soup through a sieve before final heating. Consequently, their soup has a much finer texture than what I make. I add so many things to my soup -- potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, chopped ham -- that it comes out chunky enough to eat with a knife. Still, their recipe is good, too, and I ate the last helping of it for lunch this afternoon.