綠碗荳湯
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb (2 1/4 cups) green split peas
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large leek, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, halved
• 1 herb bouquet*
• 2 well-rinsed ham hocks
• Salt and Pepper
*Herb Bouquet: Tie 3 cloves garlic, 4 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, 8 sprigs parsley in rinsed cheesecloth or place in bouquet garni muslin bag.
METHOD
1 Pick over the peas and remove any stones. Wash and drain peas. Place in a 4 quart pan with the vegetables, herb bouquet, ham hocks肘子 and 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer. Skim the scum off the top of the soup for several minutes, until the scum ceases to rise. Cover loosely and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally in case they stick to the bottom of the pan.
2 Remove the ham hocks and herb bouquet from the soup. Purée the soup with a blender. An immersion blender works great for this; if you are using a regular blender, take care to work in batches一次 and only fill the blender halfway if the soup is still hot, and hold down the lid while blending. If you want an exceptionally smooth soup, pass the purée through a sieve.
3 Return the purée to the pot and heat to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle 杓子 into warm bowls and garnish装饰 with croutons and parsley or chives.
If you want, don't discard抛弃the ham hocks, but cut away the outer skin and remove the meat from the bones. Dice the meat and serve with the soup.
Makes 2 quarts. Serves 6.
