Erwtensoep (Split Pea Soup)

[nverland]

Erwtensoep (Split Pea Soup)

1 lb (450 g) dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
2 ½ qt (2.5 L) water
¼ cup (60 ml) diced salt pork
½ cup (125 ml) chopped leeks
½ cup (125 ml) chopped celery
½ cup (125 ml) chopped celeriac (celery root, optional)
½ cup (125 ml) chopped onion
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 tsp (10 ml) salt
1 smoked ham hock or pig’s knuckle (optional)
½ lb (250 g) smoked, precooked smoked sausage, such
as kielbasa, sliced into ¼ inch (0.5 cm) rounds

Cook the salt pork for 5 minutes in a heavy soup pot over moderate
heat. Add the vegetables and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently,
until tender but not brown. Add the water, peas, bay leaf, salt, and
ham hock or pig’s knuckle and bring to the boil. Skim the foam
from the surface of the soup and simmer over low heat for two hours.
Remove the ham hock or pig’s knuckle, shred the meat and set it
aside. Discard the bone and the bay leaf. Strain the soup, pressing
the vegetables through the sieve, or puree in an electric blender.
Return the soup, the reserved pork meat, and the sliced kielbasa
to the kettle, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sausage is
warmed through. Serves 6 to 8.