Dutch Split Pea Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 (1 lb) package split peas
• 2 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 large onion
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups)
• 1/2 lb cooked ham or 1/2 lb ham hock, diced (whichever)
• 1/2 lb smoked sausage or 1/2 lb little smokies sausage, sliced
• 2 large leeks, well washed and sliced
• 2 large celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Recipe

• 1 wash and sort peas.
• 2 combine peas, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme in a large pot or dutch oven.
• 3 press cloves into onion, and add to pot (if using a ham hock you may wish to add it now so it becomes more tender- but not the smoked sausage, as they split if overcooked).
• 4 bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 1 hour.
• 5 remove the onion and bay leaf.
• 6 puree soup through a coarse sieve or in batches in the blender (be careful not to burn yourself!); return mixture to the pot.
• 7 (i like to leave a little bit not pureed for texture).
• 8 add potatoes, ham, sausage.
• 9 leek and celery.
• 10 simmer uncovered about 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
• 11 taste for seasoning and garnish soup with chopped parsley before serving.