Ertwen Soep (Dutch style split pea soup)

In our family, there is nothing better on a rainy day than a nice, big pot of home made ertwen soep. Commonly referred to as "hot dog soup" by the kids (that's what Bella calls it and what I called it as a child), it has been a favorite of the Modderman/Maagdenberg family for decades (My maternal side of the family)! Here is our version...

Ingredients:

6 stalks celery, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

1 onion chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 smoked ham hocks

generous amount of sea salt

1 bag split peas

handful chopped parsley

pinch nutmeg

pork kielbasa, sliced

black pepper

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in large pot over medium flame. Add onion, celery, and leeks and saute for about 3 minutes. Add about 12 cups of water to the pot. Add ham hocks to the water and simmer about 2 hours.

Add the bag of split peas to the water and simmer another hour, stirring occasionally. Once it has become a soup like consistency add the chopped parsley, a pinch of nutmeg, and black pepper to your liking.
Finally, slice the kielbasa and add to soup only moments before you are going to eat it.

You can serve this over rice if you like, but it is fantastic all on it's own! Smakelijk eten!