Cream of Green Split Pea Soup

Recipe No. 538 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Soups. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Peas, split, green — 8 pounds (4½ No. 56 dippers)
• Onions, sliced — 12 ounces (1 mess kit cup)
• Pork, salt, diced — 1½ pounds
• Water — 4¾ gallons (19 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — as needed
• Nutmeg — as needed
• Milk, evaporated — 21 — 14½-ounce cans
• Fat, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Flour, sifted — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Wash peas; add onions and salt pork. Add enough water to cover peas; soak 5 hours or overnight.
2. Add remaining water. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes or until peas are soft.
3. Rub through sieve; reheat.
4. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and milk; continue simmering 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Mix melted fat and flour together; stir until smooth. Add slowly to hot soup; mix thoroughly. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until soup is slightly thick, stirring constantly.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Peas, split, green — 10¼ oz Onions, sliced — 1 oz Pork, salt, diced — 2 oz Water — 1½ qt Salt — about 1½ tsp Pepper — to taste Nutmeg — to taste Milk, evaporated — 1⅔ can(s) (14½ oz) Fat, melted — 1¼ oz Flour, sifted — 1¼ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 538, Soups. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.