I worked on a soup recipe for the new magazine Issue of Our Green Plate. This split pea soup is a very meaty and hearty soup. A great meal on its own. This soup is worth all the meat products you have to buy. The recipe comes from a local restaurant in Illinois.

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this is the content from the magazine:

Dutch Split Pea Soup

Recipe courtesy of Chef Tony Jamin

Al’s Café & Creamery is the quintessential local gem. Located in a Victorian style building in downtown Elgin, Chef Jamin, who trained in Holland, Germany, and France, creates outstanding globally inspired Euro-American dishes.

43 DuPage Ct., 847.742.1180, www.alscafe.com

A Dutch Winter Soup served as a Main Course

(6-8 servings)

2 large onions, cubed

2 leeks, sliced thinly

1 bunch of celery, sliced thinly

4 bay leaves, 6 cloves, and 6 whole black peppercorns tied up in cheesecloth to make a spice bag

16 ounces smoked ham, cubed

2 thick bone-in pork chops

8 ounces bacon, cubed

Salt

3 cups dried green split peas

1 smoked sausage, sliced

Croutons (optional)

Pumpernickel bread, buttered (optional)

Crispy bacon bits (optional)

Combine first 9 ingredients (onions through cubed bacon) in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Leave uncovered and continue to simmer for 3 hours or until pork easily comes off the bone. Remove spice bag. Remove pork chops and cut meat from bone. Cube the pork chops and return to soup. Add salt to taste. Add split peas and simmer until peas are soft. This will thicken the soup. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Add sausage.

To serve traditionally, top each serving with croutons and offer sides of sliced buttered pumpernickel bread topped with crispy bacon bits.

food styling and propping: Karla Spies