You'll Want to Swim In a Bowl of Ina Garten's Split Pea Soup

This comforting split pea soup recipe is a perfect example of the upgraded yet familiar fare you'll savor in Ina Garten'scookbook, Modern Comfort Food.

"One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is a bowl of split pea soup, dating back to the days when my mother served us canned pea soup with cut-up hot dogs (very '50s!)," says Garten. "Now I prefer a big pot of homemade soup to serve with sautéed kielbasa on top. I love the way the earthy, creamy soup contrasts with the crispy sausage."

This soup is delicious left over and freezes well. If needed, stir in a little extra stock or water when reheating.

Related: Here's Ina Garten's Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe

[Reprinted from Modern Comfort Food . Copyright © 2020 by Ina Garten. Photographs copyright © 2020 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.]

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and green parts (2)

• 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 large)

• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)

• 1 lb dried green split peas

• 8 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)

• 1 smoked ham hock

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 8 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine

• 2 large fresh bay leaves

• 12 oz smoked kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch-thick pieces

• Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

1. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large (11- to 12-inch) pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add leeks, carrots and onion; cook 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender and starting to brown. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in peas to coat; cook 1 minute. Add stock, 2 cups water, ham hock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, or until peas are very tender and falling apart. (After 45 minutes, stir more frequently, scraping bottom of the pot to be sure soup doesn't burn.)

2. Discard thyme, bay leaves and ham hock. Transfer 2 cups soup to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; puree. Return puree to pot. Stir in more stock or water if soup is too thick.

3. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a medium saute pan over medium. Add kielbasa; cook 5–6 minutes or until browned, tossing occasionally. Serve soup garnished with kielbasa and parsley.