Yellow Split Pea and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms

Tonight's dinner was another Macgyver, throw it together adventure. My friend Jackie posted a recipe from Elana's Pantry and I modified it for our dinner tonight.

All the measurements are approximate since I was just using up what I had in the kitchen.

Yellow Split Pea and Lentil Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1 pound yellow split peas
• 3/4 pound red lentils
  
• 3 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups stock (I had some ham stock in the freezer and that's all I had, feel free to use more stock)
  
• 1/8 tsp celery salt
• fresh ground pepper
  

Directions:

1. Look over the peas and lentils and remove any stones or debris. (I used to think this was a stupid instruction until I found some pebbles in some beans.)
2. In a large sauce pan (I used a four quart pan) , bring split peas (and lentils), water, bay leaves and paprika to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 1 hour, until peas break apart (the lentils will cook faster so if you want, add them after the peas have cooked for about half an hour).
   
3. In a large stockpot (at least 6 quart), heat oil and saute onion over medium low until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender.
   
4. Add the split peas and lentils to the onion/mushroom mixture.
5. Add the stock, celery salt, and pepper.
   
6. Simmer for a few minutes. Adjust seasonings if needed (you may need more salt; we don't use a lot of salt, plus I figured there was salt in the ham stock).
   

If you prefer a smoother soup, remove the bay leaves and blend the peas/lentils after step 2.