Split Pea Soup

Prep: 10 min Cook: 110 min 6 servings

Instructions

1Rinse and drain the peas.
2Heat the olive oil in a large (4-quart) thick bottomed pot on medium high heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrot, and leek. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
3Place peas in the pot with the vegetables, herb bouquet, ham hocks and 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer. Skim the scum off the top of the soup for several minutes, until the scum ceases to rise. Partially cover and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally in case they stick to the bottom of the pan.
4Put the ham hocks aside if you want to add the meat to the soup. Discard the herb bouquet.
5Purée the soup with a blender. An immersion blender works great for this; if you are using a regular blender, take care to work in batches and only fill the blender halfway if the soup is still hot, and hold down the lid while blending. If you want an exceptionally smooth soup, pass the purée through a sieve.
6If you'd like cut away the outer skin from the ham hocks and remove the meat from the bones. Dice the meat and stir it into the pureed soup.
7Return the puréed soup to the pot and heat until once again steaming. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with croutons and parsley or chives. Did you love this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!