Habitant Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 cup carrots finely chopped
• 0.5 cup celery finely chopped
• 0.3 cup crème fraîche 
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 12 ounce ham hock 
• 0.8 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 6 cups less-sodium beef broth fat-free
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 cups onion finely chopped
• 6 ounces salt pork 
• 2 cups water 
• 2 cups yellow split peas split yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add 2 cups onion, carrot, and celery to pan; saut for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas; saut for 1 minute.
3. Add broth and the next 4 ingredients (through ham hock); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender, skimming surface occasionally, as necessary.
4. Remove ham hock and bay leaves; discard.
5. Remove salt pork; cool.
6. Remove 1 1/2 cups pea mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Puree 1 1/2 cups pea mixture, and return to pan, stirring to thicken slightly. Stir in parsley, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper.
7. Dice salt pork.
8. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
9. Add pork to pan; cover and cook 5 minutes or until crisp and browned, stirring frequently. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon pork and 1 1/2 teaspoons crme frache.
10. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.