Pea Soup

If I were telling myself that in the four+ years since I moved out, I had never once attempted to make pea soup all by my lonesome, I would tell me I was crazy.  How is it that my second most beloved childhood soup would not have been made in my own kitchen?  Upon this realization I quickly remedied the situation, first with an embarrassed phone call to my mother (or three!) and then with her advice to the store where I promptly spent the best $12 of the month on the ingredients for this soup.

First, you find an awesome butcher shop that smokes their own ham hocks. (among many other wonderful things)  Then you get some split green peas, finally you raid the back of your freezer for that I-know-it's-gotta-be-in-here-somewhere-why-do-I-always-have-to-pull-apart-my-freezer-?-there-it-is-!- rookwurst from your Opa (who makes it himself.)  Grab yourself a big pot and get cooking.

Pea Soup

Adapted from the recipe my mother gave me, I'll go ahead and say it; this is the best pea soup I've ever had.

Ingredients
1 smoked pork hock, ask your butcher to cut it in half
1 small onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
2 strips of bacon
2 1/2 c split green peas
rookwurst, farmer's sausage, or any other smoked ring of meat

Directions
Sweat your onions and carrot in a large pot with a touch of oil.  Add your ham hocks and cover the pot with water almost all the way to the top.  Slip in two slices of bacon.  With a lid on bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

At this point add your split peas and cook for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.  Once the peas are fully cooked and the soup is getting thicker remove the ham hocks and shred the meat on them.  Remove the bacon slices from the pot.  Return the ham to the soup, as well as one ring of rookwurst cut up into bite sized rounds.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the soup is thickened to your liking.  If it's to thin take the lid off and cook off excess liquid.  If it's to thick add some water.  Season the soup with salt and pepper and enjoy.