Seriously folks, Jon is a genius. He is constantly pushing me to love things I have previously vowed not to eat. Split pea soup being one of those things. But leave it to him to develop a recipe that not only makes the soup tolerable, but exceptional. I know what you are thinking: “You love everything he cooks.” And you’d be right, save the one disaster that was the apricots stuffed with pistachio paste (blech), he’s pretty much always spot on in the kitchen.

What really makes this recipe is the addition of the spicy sausage and the garlic Parmesan croutons. I kept going back to add more croutons because I wanted one with each bite. This recipe also makes the house smell fantastic; of course, I realize, that could be because Jon sauteed the veggies in bacon fat. Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Sausage and Greens

Ingredients:

• 1 16-ounce bag dried green split peas (2 1/3 cups)
• 12 ounces (4 links) fully cooked andouille sausages
• 8 cups (or more) low-salt organic chicken broth
• 5 Turkish bay leaves
• 3 to 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
• 2 Russet potatoes
• 5 carrots
• 1 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 celery stalks

Preparation:

Combine split peas, whole sausages, 8 cups broth, and bay leaves in heavy large pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes.

Chop potatoes, carrots, onion and celery stalk and sauté in bacon fat and black pepper until softened.

Transfer sausages to cutting board. Cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-rounds.

Puree soup (including bay leaves) 3 cups at a time in blender until smooth- puree 1/3 of the sauteed veggies in the first batch; return to same pot. Add sausages, greens and remaining veggies. Thin with more broth if necessary. Simmer soup until veggies soften, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garlic Parmesan Croutons

Ingredients:

• 1/4 loaf Sesame Semolina, cubed
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• garlic powder to taste
• Parmesan to taste
• 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Melt the butter and mix with olive oil, garlic, parsley and Parmesan. Toss cubed bread with mixture until coated, spread them out on a pan, and bake in oven at 420 degrees, stirring occasionally until browned, 12 to 14 minutes.