Dutch Split Pea Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) package split peas
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon leaf thyme, crumbled
2 whole cloves
1 large onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (3 cups)
1/2 lb cooked ham or 1/2 lb ham hock, diced (whichever)
1/2 lb smoked sausage or 1/2 lb Little Smokies sausage, sliced
2 large leeks, well washed and sliced
2 large celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Wash and sort peas.
Combine peas, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Press cloves into onion, and add to pot (if using a ham hock you may wish to add it now so it becomes more tender- but NOT the smoked sausage, as they split if overcooked).
Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 1 hour.
Remove the onion and bay leaf.
Puree soup through a coarse sieve or in batches in the blender (be careful not to burn yourself!); return mixture to the pot.
(I like to leave a little bit not pureed for texture).
Add potatoes, ham, sausage.
leek and celery.
Simmer uncovered about 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Taste for seasoning and garnish soup with chopped parsley before serving.