Split Pea Soup and My New Favorite Kitchen Tool – the Miallegro MiTutto

I love split pea soup and I have for as long as I can remember. I wasn’t a super fussy eater as a kid but I think we all remember the things we didn’t like; even if over the years our tastes have changed and we’re more adventurous as adults. I’m sort of surprised that this soup isn’t on that list of ‘no like’ as a kid but I remember loving both split pea and the even uglier brown lentil soup. Go figure right?

Like the ugly duckling, this soup has it’s beautiful side but you have to taste it to make that discovery. Rich with the mirapoix blend of sauteed onion, carrots and celery, I’ve always done one thing that I think has this simple mixture stand head and shoulders above the others I’ve had. It’s simple too…I substitute chicken stock for the water that is most often called for when making a bean soup. Wait…guess there are a few more things I do differently!

My need for a whole ham could be described as never…I like it OK but never crave it for a regular meal. However, I love the soups that have always called for a ham bone. Last year on a whim I decided to contact Honey Baked Ham to see if they might sell ham bones with the meat left on them after carving them for the prepared sandwiches they sell on premises. My whim was met with surprise and delight when the answer was ‘yes’ – I think whoo hoo might have been uttered from my lips! It’s allowed me to add some winter soups to my repertoire that might have been eliminated now that I’m only cooking for myself and that is good.

So, I dropped by the local Honey Baked Ham store the other day to pick up a bone and was crestfallen when they had none. What they did have? Apparently at the end of the day; any of the pre-measured sandwich slices that are not used are frozen in plastic baggies for sale. So now I’ve moved from having to cook a whole ham to using the meat from a ham bone to now just including a pound and a half of cooked slices. I felt so Sandra Lee-ish…I even bought some pre-cut carrot slices! Time was at a premium this past weekend and these few choices made this hearty soup a snap to put together. After cooking the trifecta of carrots, celery and onion in a skillet; they were added with the peas, stock and ham to a crockpot that I set to cook overnight for 10 hours. It was ready in the morning and I could have ‘almost’ eaten it for breakfast!

I’ve had an immersion blender for a long time and I think they are an amazing tool for soups. Even soups that are not supposed to be smooth can benefit from a bit of blending; I find it helps to thicken the soup without having to add any additional ingredients. That being said, I had a pretty standard setup; a stick blender and a small food processor container. Then I was asked by the folks at Miallegro if I would like to try their MiTutto. I am in love. The funny thing is the standard way I used my old one was mostly limited just to using the stick for blending. The processor didn’t do much but throw the ingredients around and made it a useless tool; I used my new one last week to blend some spices and that was the beginning of this new love affair.

Now, I know this post is about soup but I want you to have a chance to fall in love too. The folks at Miallegro have offered to give one of their MiTutto (I think that stands for Magic Kitchen Tool) to a reader too. Trust me, you want this. A powerful stick blender with multiple speeds and four blades that can chop, blend, aerate and puree, this stick blender already offers more than others but there is also a whisk attachment and a mini processor with some real power. Pictured below is the measuring beaker with the aerating blade; I decided to ‘test’ making whipped cream and I had to share this with you!

Whipped cream with an immersion blender? Really? Yes, REALLY. My first trial I put all the parts in the freezer, much like I would if using a standard mixer bowl and beaters. The cream whipped up so quickly I was close to butter within about 10 seconds; good to know but too thick to actually use. So I tried again but didn’t re-chill the equipment and again, whipped cream in a matter of seconds. What I LOVED about this? That I could make 2 servings of whipped cream and not have to make a full mixing bowl full. Perfect in so many ways. Like if I wanted some with the last piece of this fabulous pineapple upside down cake!

Can you tell how much I love this thing? I know that I’m required to provide a disclaimer for the FTC; you know, truth in advertising and all. So there is a blurb at the end of this post when I tell you I got one of these given to me to try out and then spout the requisite language about everything I say being my own opinion. I get the intent and know that I never advocate something I don’t really love but when you see that same text over and over and over the pledge seems almost meaningless…so let me just say this. I LOVE THIS! I WOULD BUY THIS. I’ve had 3 different brands of immersion blenders with some different attachments and this setup is so far and away better there are no words. I expect it to make my job easier. It won’t mean I don’t need a mixer or a food processor or a blender but it does mean I can use a smaller and still efficient tool on many occasions. I like that. You will too.

Not to forget the soup…here’s the recipe for you because you just have to make it…and then check out how to win my new favorite kitchen tool down below!

How can you win one of these fabulous kitchen tools? Lots of ways; here’s how:

Contest is open until Friday, October 12, 2012 midnight. THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED AND A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN.

Required: Leave a comment and let me know how you would use the MiTutti Immersion Blender.

For additional optional entries do any of the following and leave me a SEPARATE COMMENT for each one, letting me know you did it. If you already get my rss feed or follow me on Twitter; just let me know…that counts. Please note these have to be left as separate comments or they will only count as one entry.

• Signup for my RSS email feed
• Follow me on Twitter @CreativCulinary
• Tweet the following:  I just entered to win the MiTutti Immersion Blender from @CreativCulinary. Enter here: http://su.pr/5RvnPH

Winner will be determined by using random.org; the result at random.org will be used to select a winner based on the corresponding comment number. This prize for US residents only. I will email the winner and they will have up to 3 days to claim their prize or another winner will be selected

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY, VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided with one MiTutto to review and a similar one will also be shipped to a prize winner. All commentary is my own.