Best yet Rustic Split Pea Soup

I think this combination turned out especially well. The smoked turkey leg tastes just like ham. With croutons on top or some cornbread, it's a meal! Long simmering time allows the peas to get completely soft and break down so you don't have to puree them.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

•  i  smoked turkey leg
• 1  lb  split peas, rinsed and drained
• 1  large onion, diced
• 1  cup carrot, diced
• 3  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1  teaspoon celery seed
• 1  bay leaf
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt
• 2  quarts water
• 2  cups milk
• 1  cup half-and-half
•  fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Put the smoked turkey leg in a six-quart pot. Oval pots are great, as turkey legs can be pretty long!
2. Add the split peas and the 2 quarts of water.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.
4. After a while, there will be foam on top of the water. Skim it all off and discard.
5. Add the diced onion, carrot, sliced garlic, celery seed, salt and bay leaf.
6. Simmer for one hour, mostly covered.
7. Remove the bay leaf.
8. Remove the turkey leg and allow it to cool enough to handle while you simmer the soup for another fifteen minutes.
9. Remove skin, bones and tendon from turkey leg and dice the meat into bite sized pieces.
10. Add meat back to soup.
11. Add milk and half and half and heat to serving temperature.
12. Serve in big bowls topped with freshly ground pepper.