Split Pea Soup for a United Nation

(in honor of the election of the 44th President of the United States of America)
Pea soup. Some people love it. Others hate it. But one thing we can all agree--it's filled to the brim with fiber. And we know what that means...

Here's the best one I've had, from Mollie Katzen's MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK, 1992 edition:

Split Pea Soup (for a United Nation)

3c dry split peas
~7c water (more as needed)
1 bay leaf
2t salt
1/2-1t dry mustard
2c minced onion
4-5 med cloves garlic, crushed
3 stalks celery, minced
2 med carrots, sliced or diced
1 small potato, thinly sliced
lots of freshly ground black pepper
3-4T red wine vinegar (to taste)

Toppings:
Chinese sesame oil (optional)
a fresh, ripe tomato, diced
freshly minced parsley

1. Place split peas, water, by leaf, salt, and dry mustard in a kettle or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, lower heat as much as possible, and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes.

2. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and potato. Partially cover, and leave it to simmer gently for about 40 more minutes with occasional stirring. If necessary, add some water.

[Note: The above step took considerably longer.]

3. Add black pepper and vinegar to taste. Serve topped with a drizzle of sesame oil, diced tomato, and minced parsley.