A different kind of holiday feast

by Mary Ann Vincenta
published Dec. 8, 08

If I could streamline my entire life the way I have streamlined my cooking, I would walk around totally unencumbered, not frazzled, unworried and perhaps blissful; most all of my recipes call for five ingredients or less. More than five just seems excessive. Some people think I’m austere.

If you should be coming up upon a lean holiday season, this economical, simple dish will be perfect for your celebration. Yellow pea and sauerkraut soup is delicious and becomes especially festive when served with steaming baked potatoes on the side and maybe even some green beans and tasty bread.

Here’s what I do. I wash a bag of yellow peas and drain them. Then I dump them into a largish pot, cover them with ample water and turn on the heat. I try to remember to watch them so they don’t burn to the bottom when the water disappears. If the water gets low before the peas are soft and mushy, I add more water. (What would you do?)

They say the Pilgrims mostly ate unsalted gruel, so this is much better than that. When the peas are almost done, I add a 15-ounce can of sauerkraut. For some reason I always use Frank’s, with the green label; I don’t know why. (Maybe it has something to do with the Swiss photographer Robert Frank who documented America as no one has before or since.) Then I let it cook for another half hour. About 15 minutes into the half hour, I add 3 tablespoons of butter (some people prefer margarine) and salt if it tastes like it needs it. Just before serving I stir in maybe a half a cup of sour cream, preferably lean, but not “no-fat.” No-fat is going too far. That’s it: salt, water, yellow peas, sauerkraut, butter and sour cream. Just like everyone else in this country, I take water for granted and therefore don’t count it in my five ingredients.

An ex-boyfriend, now sadly departed, showed me how to make this dish and I will be eternally grateful. In every relationship I always try to see the bright side; learning this soup was definitely the bright side of that one.