If you want a more prominent pancetta flavor in your soup, chop some up and add it to the mirepoix (celery, carrots, onion).
Ingredients
- Carrots, chopped
- Celery, chopped
- Garlic, chopped
- Onions, chopped
- Bay leaf
- Potatoes, diced and divided
- Split peas
- Cumin seeds
- Mustard seeds
- Fenugreek seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Fennel seeds
- Black Peppercorns
- Almonds, crushed
- Pancetta, cubed
- Sage
Directions
- Sauté the first four ingredients in a stockpot until carrots are tender
- Add bay leaf and most of the potatoes, reserving some for added texture later on
- Mix well and add some water to the pot
- Mix in the split peas
- In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the cumin, mustard, fenugreek, coriander, fennel and black peppercorns
- When stock pot reaches a steady boil, start adding the spice mixture a little at a time, mixing between additions – reserve about a teaspoon of the spice mixture
- Add salt, if desired
- Stir the soup occasionally so as to avoid burning the bottom
- When split peas become tender, start a sauté pan on another burner medium-high heat
- Grind the almonds in a spice grinder
- When sauté pan is hot, add crushed almonds and reserved spice mixture, mixing frequently to avoid burning
- When the almond mixture is nice and brown, remove them from the pan and set aside
- Sear the pancetta in the sauté pan
- Add a little broth from the soup to the pancetta pan
- Add the reserved potatoes to the pancetta pan and mix thoroughly
- Add more broth to the pancetta pan if it becomes too dry
- When pancetta is thoroughly cooked and potatoes are tender, add a cup or two of the broth to the pancetta pan and simmer
- Add the crushed almonds and sage to the pancetta pan and mix thoroughly
- Let simmer until sauce thickens
- By this time, the soup should be just about ready. If the peas are really tender, remove the bay leaf
- Using a hand blender, blend the soup into a smooth puree
- Add the pancetta mixture to the soup and simmer for a few minutes
- Serve hot
I'm wondering if you're nuts! It's hot outside! Why split pea soup? With meat! Your nuts! Gazpacho is messier to make but much more fun to eat in the summer and you can add avocado because you live in California and don't need to be authentic. It's hot outside!
ReplyDeleteThis is actually an archive recipe from my collection. I think I originally made it in the winter, which hopefully clears up the craziness factor...but maybe not :)
ReplyDelete