Split pea soup with smoked pork hocks

With the African summer sun starting to fade, autumn comfort food is taking center stage in my kitchen.  My split pea soup with smoked pork hocks is a seriously simple, seriously tasty soup that is 100% fool-proof. The flavour that comes from cooking the smoked hocks with the peas creates a deep, comforting meaty soup that almost needs no seasoning at the end. You’ve got to taste it to believe it – a winning recipe!

Ingredients:

• 500 g packet of split peas
• 2,5 litres of cold water
• 3 x beef stock cubes, dissolved in half a cup of boiling water
• 1 cup finely sliced leeks
• one celery stick with leaves, finely sliced
• 1 whole smoked pork hock, medium-sized (you can also use smoked eisbein)

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients together in a stock pot or pressure cooker.
2. Bring to the boil, then turn down heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, covered. Stir once or twice, making sure that the peas don’t clog together at the bottom of the pot.
3. The soup is ready when the peas have completely disintegrated. You will still see parts of the celery and leeks.
4. Remove pot from the heat. Remove the pork from the soup, remove the fat layer and bones, and cut the meat into small chunks. The meat should fall from the bone.
5. Return the meat chunks to the soup and stir through.
6. Serve with crusty bread.

Tip: This soup will thicken considerably after cooling down completely. Add a little bit of water before heating it up again.