Split Pea/Lentil Soup(Gluten Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup green split peas
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 small leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic chopped
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• 1 cup of diced ham
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Optional garnish - small toasted croutons, parsley, chives or sour cream.

(avoid for gluten-free version)

Method

1 Pick over the peas and lentils and remove any stones. Wash and drain .Sauté onion, leeks, carrots and celery and garlic in a 4 quart heavy gauge pot .Add ham and 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer. Skim the scum off the top of the soup for several minutes, until the scum ceases to rise. Cover loosely and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until peas and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally in case they stick to the bottom of the pan.

2 Purée the soup with a blender. An immersion blender works great for this. I only purée ½ the soup and leave the other have slightly chunky. If you are using a regular blender, take care to work in batches and only fill the blender halfway if the soup is still hot, and hold down the lid while blending. If you want an exceptionally smooth soup, pass the purée through a sieve.

3 Return the purée to the pot and heat to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with croutons (avoid for gluten-free version) and parsley or chives.

**I omit the croutons because they are not Gluten Free-unless of course I have GF bread handy!

Makes approx:2 quarts. Serves 6.