Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone. I know you’re all likely filling up on holiday food, roasted turkey or some other bird, honey ham and all the trimmings… as are we… but here’s a little something to help take some of the stretch out of your pants… something I’m trying to do.
I recently stopped working (end of November) this was by choice… call it early retirement. I’m very fortunate to be in a position to be able to do this and plan to make the best possible use of my time. First and foremost joining a gym, check…. starting a consistent work out schedule…. check… and just plain living healthier… not a check yet but working on it.
All the stress and sitting and incessant computer usage caused me some physical issues that I’m going to do my best to resolve through good food and regular work outs. I’m convinced that comfort eating all the delicious but bad for you foods contributed considerably to my physical issues…. sitting all day didn’t help either. So my plan is to make a concerted effort to change that… You’ll be seeing some ‘lighter’ recipes here for the next while at least….
I do love winter for its comfort food. I saw a smoked turkey at a butcher shop down the street a little while ago and it immediately took me back to a time when my dad was obsessing about smoked chickens. Yes, I bought a whole smoked turkey. Years ago we we having smoked chickens all the time. At one point my dad even had a smoker and was smoking chickens in the back yard. These smoked birds weren’t overly salty… a problem I find with most commercial smoked foods.
When I saw smoked turkeys shrink-wrapped at the butcher’s I was taken back and couldn’t help myself. Now I find myself with most of a smoked turkey left to eat … and with less inclination to just eat it on it’s own I was looking for something to do with it… enter soup! What better way to have some delicious smoked turkey than in a creamy and hearty pea soup. Mmmm a little marjoram…. some garlic at the end to give it a bite… Yum… comfort food for all!
This is one of those kinds of meals that doesn’t really have a precise recipe but more just basic instructions.
Smoked Turkey Split Pea Soup
- 1 bag or about 900 grams split peas (I used yellow but you can use green)
- 2 – 3 cups water
- 2-3 small potatoes (chopped into bite sized pieces)
- 2 small carrots (chopped into bit sized pieces)
- 500 – 600 grams of smoked turkey or smoked ham bone or other smoked meat
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons marjoram
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 -3 Tablespoons butter
- 2-3 Tablespoons flour
First rinse the split peas then place in a pot and add water and smoked meat. If you’re using a smoked ham bone this should be added as well. The water should easily cover the peas (you may have to add more as it cooks off). Bring to a low simmer and cook until the peas are pretty much tender then add the chopped potatoes and carrots.
Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender, while the soup is cooking make the roux, place the butter into a frying pan and bring to low heat. Add the flour and cook gently for about 5 minutes mixing constantly. Set aside.
Once the vegetables are all cooked add the roux from the frying pan let it cook until it thickens then add the crushed garlic and marjoram. Stir to blend and salt and pepper to taste.
I always add the garlic to recipes like this at the end this way it maintains it’s punch. Garlic will lose its potency as it’s cooked. This soup freezes quite well, I made it before all the holiday food and recovered it from the freezer to lighted some of the eating… dare I say I can’t eat turkey with all the holiday trimmings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is nice to offset some of the heaviness.
Happy Holidays everyone and bon appetite!