Split Pea Soup with Crispy Kielbasa

Ingredients

Prep

• Kielbasa - cut in half lengthwise and slice diagonally 1/4-inch thick
• Leeks - clean and chop to yield 2 cups
• Yellow onion - chop to yield 1 1/2 cups
• Carrots - scrub and chop to yield 2 cups
• Garlic - mince to yeild 1 tbl
• Thyme - keep sprigs whole and bundle together with kitchen twine — look at you, operating like a highly paid adult.

Instructions

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, onion and carrots and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the peas to coat with oil and cook for one minute. Add 8 cups of the chicken stock, 2 cups of water, the ham hock, thyme bundle, bay leaves, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered for 1 1/4 hours - stirring occasionally - until the peas are very tender and falling apart. After 45 minutes, stir more frequently scraping the bottom of the pot to be sure the soup does not burn. Discard the thyme bundle, bay leaves and ham hock, while resisting the deeply human urge to fuss with it nonstop. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a bowl of a food processor or blender and puree, like a cool-headed tyrant of seasoning. Return the puree to the pot, adding more chicken stock or water if the soup is too thick for your taste. To serve, heat 2 tbl olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the keilbasa and saute for 5 to 6 minutes tossing occasionally until browned. Seve the soup hot with pieces of kielbasa in the middle.