Pea, Potato, and Leek Soup

Yields: 5-6 servings

Time: Overnight prep, 2-3 hour cook

Potato & Leek and Pea soup are two of my favorite winter lunches. There is nothing more homey and comforting than a big bowl of steaming hot soup with a crusty piece of bread. Pea soup is wonderful because if its subtle ham flavor whereas potato & leek soup is thick and creamy with a brightness that comes from the oniony leek. Here, I bring those two classic features of each soup together to make one delicious dish! Tangy crème fraîche and toasty sesame oil give this soup a lovely bright and nutty finish. Serve with your favorite crusty bread or homemade sourdough croutons!

Ingredients:

• 12oz. dried split peas

• 1 ham hock (any left over ham product works)

• 1 medium baking potato, peeled

• 2 carrots

• 3 celery stalks

• 1/2 leek (cleaned very thoroughly)

• 4 garlic cloves

• Unsalted butter

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

• Smoked paprika

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 sprig of rosemary

• Dried parsley

• Dried thyme

• Apple cider vinegar

• ~64oz. chicken stock (homemade preferred)

• Sesame oil

• Crème fraîche (or sour cream)

Special Equipment:

• Immersion or stick blender

Directions

Step One:

In a medium bowl, cover peas with one inch of water. Leave uncovered and soak overnight. Peas should absorb most of the water and increase in size overnight.

Step Two:

Next day, drain any remaining water from peas and set aside on a paper towel to dry.

Step Two:

In a large dry pot, sear ham hock over medium-high heat until browned and fat has rendered a bit. Remove ham and set aside. Lower heat to medium and add a few tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add chopped carrots, leek, potato and celery to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes. Mix in chopped garlic and cook another minute.

Step Three:

Stir in peas, adding more butter if mixture seems dry. Season with about one tablespoon each of smoked paprika, parsley, and thyme. When herbs become fragrant, pour in 2-3 capfuls of apple cider vinegar, bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reintroduce ham hock and add rosemary and bay leaves. Pour in just enough chicken stock to submerge everything, about 64 ounces. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours over very low heat.

Step Four:

After two hours check peas and potatoes for tenderness. If either are still a bit chewy continue to simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, remove from heat and remove bay leaves, rosemary stem, and ham.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth and creamy. If soup becomes too thick add in a few tablespoons of chicken stock. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Step Five (optional):

If desired, chop ham into small chunks and stir into blended soup. This gives you not only extra flavor but great textural contrast!

Step Six:

Spoon soup into shallow bowls and top with a spiral of crème fraîche and a few dashes of sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Crème fraîche v. Sour cream

Both are delicious and great finishers for soup, but what is the big difference between crème fraîche and sour cream? Crème fraîche is French for fresh cream; it is cream that is fermented with natural cultures to create that lovely tangy flavor. Sour cream also starts with fresh cream but has lactic acid added to make it slightly thick and sour. They often can be used interchangeably but crème fraîche has a higher fat content making it less likely to split or curdle when heated. Either will add beautiful acidity to any dish!