Split Pea Soup
This thick pureed soup is very popular in Russia. It’s made from yellow split peas with various smoked meats.
Serves: 6-8
1 lb dried peas
2 medium carrots
1 large onion
2 oz vegetable oil
1/3 lb thin smoked sausages
2.5 qt water
2 teaspoons salt
Fresh dill
Croutons
This thick pureed soup is very popular in Russia. It’s made from yellow split peas with various smoked meats. It is usually served with croutons instead of regular bread. These croutons can be made from any bread cut into small pieces and toasted till dry and crunchy.
Pour the peas into a colander and rinse under running water.
Then place into a pot and cover with 2.5 quarts of water. Place on the stove. As the water gets close to boiling, there will be foam on the surface, which should be carefully removed with a spoon.
As soon as the foam stops forming, add the salt and continue cooking the peas, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
While removing the foam, be careful not to remove too much liquid. If necessary, add more water.
Slice the smoked sausages into small rounds and sauté them on a dry frying pan without any oil for 1-2 minutes.
Dice the onion into small cubes and grate the carrot.
Place the onion and the carrot onto a frying pan, add the vegetable oil and sauté over the medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
When the peas start looking like the ones on the photo (about 30-40 minutes after first boiling) – add the sautéed vegetables (onion and carrot).
Bring the soup to boiling.
Then add fried sausage rounds and let boil again.
Take the pot off the stove. Finely dice the dill and add to the soup, then cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
After that, stir the soup and serve.
Sprinkle each serving with croutons.
This soup is best eaten when it’s freshly made. If stored, it thickens a lot and is difficult to reheat.
