Dutch Girl Pea Soup

I really loved pea soup when I was a girl, my mother would make a giant pot of it, serve with brodjes (little soft buns)and Dutch cheese, a perfect meal. My pea soup is a little different than my mothers, I like to put carrots in mine and often will blend it until it is smooth, almost like a cream soup....no denying it pea soup is a good tasting good for you soup. You can use a left over ham bone instead of the ham hock, but no need to parboil if using the ham bone. Also, you can make it without the ham or bacon, just the veggies, when I make it like that I blend it all together to make it smooth, then add the carrot coins, parsley leaves and mint (if using).

Dutch Girl Pea Soup

1 2-3 pound ham hock, smoked
Water to cover

Par cook the ham hock for 1 hour, bring to boil for 5 minutes, skim the foam, turn heat to medium low, simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from water, toss water out, (it is too salty to use for anything). At this point, you can cut off some of the fat that remains on the ham hock, but leave the ham on the bone, it will shred itself into the pea soup.

3 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, washed well, chopped
A few Celery leaves
6 Fresh parsley stems
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 smaller carrot, sliced into coins, set aside til later
4 cups dried split green peas, rinse and pick over for stones
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
10-12 cups Water, do not use stock, it will be too salty when using the ham hock or ham bone
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried mint, optional

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until almost crisp, remove from pot, (reserve til serving the soup)but leave the bacon drippings, add to that the butter, when it has melted, add the onion, celery and chopped carrot, (reserve the carrot coins until later), cook and stir veggies until well coated with the butter bacon dripping mixture, add the split peas, stir well to coat with the butter mixture, add salt and pepper, the parsley stems and celery leaves, stir well, then add the ham hock and water, stir to get everything up from the bottom and especially all of the peas, because the peas like to sink to the bottom of the pot, if left there will burn your soup. Bring soup to boil, boil for 10 minutes, stir occasionally, turn heat down to medium low, let simmer for 75 minutes, then add the carrot coins, chopped fresh parsley leaves, and if desired a teaspoon of dried mint. Stir well, by this time the meat on the ham hock will have fallen off the bone, you can remove the bone, if there is still meat clinging to the bone, remove the meat, toss back into soup, along with a bit more salt if needed. Stir well, soup is ready when carrot coins are tender. Serve soup with reserved bacon bits and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!