Thursday Treat: Bejeweled Bowtie Soup

On cool days I frequently get out my crock-pot or dutch oven to make soups and stews.  It's heartening to come into a room with a simmering pot from which delicious smells are emanating.  Today's recipe is courtesy of a good friend of mine whom I've known since grade school.  Sorry I don't have a proper picture, it has been a while since I made this myself.

Bejeweled Bowtie Soup

To make this you will need:

Large soup pot or dutch oven with cover
Made-ahead beef and vegetable spaghetti sauce

8 cups water or beef broth
1 cup split peas
1/2 medium turnip, peeled and cut into chunks
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and cut
3/4 cup beef and vegetable spaghetti sauce
A few handfuls of small or medium bow-tie pasta (Farfalle)

Bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot; add the split peas and cover.
Let simmer about 20-30 minutes, until peas begin to soften.
Add vegetables to the pot and continue to simmer another 20 minutes.
Once the vegetables are tender, add the spaghetti sauce and bow tie pasta.
Cook about 20 minutes more, until the pasta is just done. The broth should thicken on its own, and should develop a reddish orange tinge from the blend of split peas and tomato.
Serves 6-8 people.

Bejeweled Bowtie Soup is very filling! It's recommended to serve it in mugs, as a big bowl is too large a portion for kids. It goes well with buttered bread or potato pancakes on the side.

Vegetarian Option:
Make the spaghetti sauce without the meat or simply substitute a can of diced tomatoes for the sauce. If you choose broth instead of water for cooking the peas, use a vegetable based broth.