SPLIT GREEN PEA SOUP

Serves: 8

1 fresh or smoked pork hock (about 2 lb/1 kg)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp (30 ml) salted butter

1 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil

1 cup (250 ml) chopped onion

3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped shallots

1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped leeks (white and tender light green portions only)

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped bacon

2 cups (500 ml) dried green split peas, rinsed and drained

12 cups (3 L) no-salt-added chicken broth

2 1/2 cups (625 ml) frozen green peas, divided

2 cups (500 ml) fresh spinach

1 tbsp (15 ml) liquid honey

1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly ground pepper

Basil mint sour cream (recipe follows)

1. Use a sharp knife to score pork hock in a criss-cross fashion to make diamonds; set aside.

2. Place rosemary, thyme and bay leaves on a piece of cheesecloth. Gather cheesecloth around herbs, folding herbs over if needed, to form a sachet.

3. Tie with butcher’s twine. The sachet allows the herbs to be easily removed from the soup before serving; set aside.

4. Melt butter with oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, shallots and leeks; sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add bacon and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Add pork hock, herb sachet, split peas and broth; stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked and split peas are tender, about 25 minutes.

7. Add 2 cups (500 ml) peas and spinach; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are heated through and spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; remove and discard herb sachet.

8. Transfer pork hock to a cutting board, reserving broth mixture. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin from hock. Remove meat from bone and chop meat; discard bone and set meat aside.

9. Purée broth mixture in batches in a blender, filling blender no more than half full for each batch.

10. Transfer puréed mixture to same Dutch oven. Add meat and remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) peas; cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Stir in honey, salt and pepper.

11. Serve topped with the sour cream.