Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 pound green split peas
3 quarts water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 sweet potato
1 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon basil
2 garlic
1/2 cup wine

Instructions

Put peas in large pot with water and salt; bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Skim off foam and discard. Saut� finely chopped carrots, sweet potato, onion and celery for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add herbs, cook vegetables for another 5 minutes, then add to soup. Simmer soup, stirring occasionally, for another 45 min to 1 hour. Remove approximately half the soup, pur�e. Return pur�e to pot, add wine and pepper, and stir. Bring soup back to simmer before serving.