Split Pea Soup

Oh, the weather outside is frightful......  Actually it is not snowing, but the temperature is downright scary, -7 F (-21 C) this morning - brrrrrr.
A delicious and warming soup is perfect on days like these. I love to make soup, so I was very happy to oblige when my 12-year old daughter asked me to make split pea soup. She had a taste of this soup during a visit to the Swedish Institute in Minneapolis over the week end, and she couldn't get enough of it. My 7-year old gobbled up a bowl too.  I found a very classic and simple recipe on Simplerecipes.com that I liked.( I altered it slightly). Dried split peas and vegetables are cooked with water and ham hocks, to give the soup a delicious flavor. With the garnish suggestions below you can customize the soup to your liking.

Ingredients:
1 lb  dry green split peas
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
1 large leek
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, halved
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 well rinsed ham hocks
salt and pepper to taste

Suggested garnishes: croutons, crispy bacon, shredded ham, chives, parsley


Wash and drain the peas. Place in a large pot with chopped vegetables, garlic, herbs, ham hocks and 2 1/2 quarts water.

 Bring to a simmer. You will notice foam forming on top of the soup. You have to spend a few minutes  removing most of the foam with a spoon, until it looks like the soup is clearing. Cover loosely and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove ham hocks and set aside. Remove and discard bay leaves. Puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you want an exceptionally smooth soup, pass the puree through a sieve (I did not do this!). Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Shred ham meat off the ham bones and serve alongside soup with additional garnishes.

Serves 4-6