Split Pea Soup
Soup, Soup, Soup! Which is the king of soups? Is it the most classic like chicken noodle soup? Or, is it the thickest like Split Pea Soup? Isn’t it amazing how thick pea soup can get? I wonder if it is really a soup. Or, is it a pottage? It is probably not a chowder or even a bisque. Yea, probably a pottage. If there are any french people around, maybe they can clarify it. Saying split pea pottage does have a nicer ring to it.
Either way, I like split pea pottage or split pea soup. I love that it can be a hearty vegan meal or a very meaty dish with simple substitutions. Taking something so cheap, like dried peas, and elevating them to culinary finery is what great cooking is all about. Sure, it may still have a peasant food feel to it, but it is fantastic eating! When I am flexing my diet toward meat, I love to add a little pork belly and sausage. They compliment the sweetness of the peas and root vegetables that I use. So tasty and satisfying!
Here is how I make my Split Pea Soup with Pork Belly and Sausage…
- 1 lb dried, split peas yellow or green
- 1 lb pork belly, sliced in to strips 1/4-1/2 inch thick
- 8 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/4 of a celery root
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 small leek
- 1 sweet onion
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound of smoked sausage or chorizo
- In a large pot add the peas, pork belly, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- As the pot comes to a simmer a foam/scum will rise to the top. Skim the foam and discard.
- Simmer 60 minutes.
- While the peas and pork belly simmer, peel and dice the carrot, peel and dice the celery root, peel and dice the onion, slice the celery stalks and leek.
- After the pot has simmer 60 minutes, remove the pork belly. Trim the pork belly meat of the fat and cut it into cubes.
- Add the cubed meat and all the vegetables to the pot. Continue simmering another 30 minutes until the soup is thick and the vegetable are tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Heat the sausage in a medium sauté pan until cooked through and, if desired browned.
- Top the soup with the sausage and serve hot!
- For vegan or vegetarian options, omit the sausage and pork belly. A good substitute would be smoked tofu.
As with many soups, it is a pleasure to be served something to dunk into the soup. A nice crouton will do the trick! Slice some bread into croutons, drizzle with olive oil or spread with butter, season with salt and pepper and bake at 350 until golden brown!
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I hope you enjoy!
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Any secrets to your Split Pea Soup? What do you think – is it a soup or a pottage? Let us know all about it in the comments or on Facebook.
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