Dutch Split Pea Soup

Keep this on hand when you go out jogging or exorcising. Makes a great rib-sticking soup. I sometimes vary the meat ingredients- in the pic posted, I used little smokies and a ham hock, same amounts.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 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

Directions

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.