Most split pea soup recipes are ridiculously predictable. Some onion, a bit of carrot, maybe some cut-up spuds. A ham hock. Inevitably, split peas are the main attraction, usually cooked to a mushy consistency. But I was looking for texture and additional flavor, so I added some dried chanterelle mushrooms; half an onion, thinly sliced well browned; some chopped tomatoes; fresh celery leaves; carrots; and spinach. I considered adding liquid smoke because the ham hock was out. But as luck would have it, one of my wooden spoons caught on fire, so I let it burn, then put out the fire and stuck the charred spoon in the soup. If a winemaker can use charred oak to enhance flavors of her wine, then why can’t I use charred wood for that desired essence of smoke in my soup? (P.S. DO NOT try this at home! Using a smoked salt should achieve similar effects without the fire!)
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the split peas, water, and mushrooms in the slow cooker insert.
Step 2
In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, celery leaves, tomatoes, and carrots to the split peas. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours, or until the split peas are tender.
Step 3
About 15 minutes before serving, add the spinach leaves and season with smoked salt to taste. Serve piping hot.
Suggested beverage
Step 4
A classic beverage for drinking with Smoky Potage Saint-Germain is beer rather than wine.
