Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 smoked ham_hock (about 1 lb/500 g)
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable_oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 each carrots and stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
4 cups (1 L) sodium-reduced chicken stock
2 cups (500 mL) dry green or yellow split_peas
3 green_onions, thinly sliced

Preparation
Using paring knife, peel off and discard skin from ham hock.
Trim off and discard fat. Set aside.
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat; fry onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and ham hock, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

 Add stock, peas and 2 cups (500 mL) water; bring to boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until peas break down and meat is tender enough to fall off hock, about 1-3/4 hours.
Remove ham hock; pull off and shred meat. Set meat aside. Discard ham bone and bay leaves.
In blender, puree half of the soup; return to pot along with meat. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat to serve.) Ladle into bowls; garnish with green onions.

Additional information : Tip: After removing the ham hock, you can also use an immersion blender to blend soup to half chunky stage while still in the pot.

From Canadian Living.

Kale, Chicken and Chick Pea Soup

You'll need:

• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 3 pieces of chicken (skin removed)
  
• 1 large onion coarsely chopped
• 1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 carton of reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 or 2 cups of water (to cover meat and vegetables)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala,
• 1 small bunch of thyme tied together and discarded later
• 1 tsp tumeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegeta to taste
  
• 1 medium sized potato
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry chicken until golden brown. Set aside.

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chick peas and fry for about 1 minute.

2. Add chick peas and cook for about a minute.

3. Add kale and cook, tossing with a large spoon, until bright green, about 1 minute.

4. Add broth, and spices.

5. Add potato, chicken and thyme

6. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender and potatoes are cooked

Pasulj

As our waiter in Belgrade called it: "Serbian Caviar".

Pasulj is a bean soup that can be made with or without meat. It's perfect for this time of year. Stick to your ribs food. This is my Tetka Ljuba's recipe and she didn't give me any measurements, but I'll give you the ones I used. It turned out very well...as usual, she didn't steer me wrong.

Ingredients:

1/2 pack of Romano beans, rinsed and soaked overnight.
about 10 cups cold water (you can add more if it's too thick for your liking
1 piece of slanine (smoked bacon...it looks like this..cut into chunks..but, you can use a ham hock or kobasice)
Vegeta (to your liking) and whole pepper corns and sweet paprika (to your liking)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced or medium chopped
1 large red potato, peeled and cut into medium pieces
1 hot Hungarian pepper (they're yellow), medium chopped
1 large onion, medium chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method:
In a large soup pot, place beans, water and slanine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so beans don't stick, and skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add vegeta, paprika and pepper to taste. Lower temperature and simmer 1 hour. 

Add vegetables, bring back to the boil, reduce heat and continue to simmer for 1 more hour.  

It's done.

Bacon & Asparagus Soup

You'll need:

1/2 a pack of bacon chopped into 1 inch pieces (or more to your taste)

2 bunches of asparagus (chopped)

2 medium sized onions  (chopped)

4 medium sized potatoes (chopped)

1 hot Hungarian pepper (chopped)

a small tied bunch of thyme (to be taken out and discarded before blending)

Vegeta (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

Water

Method:

Fry bacon until almost crisp. Throw in onions and toss until translucent. add chopped potatoes and chopped asparagus toss and fry for a minute or two. Add water to cover. Add thyme, vegeta, and black pepper. Simmer on medium heat until veggies are soft.

Blend with hand blender until smooth.

Delish.

Bacon and Potato Soup

You'll need:

1 lb of bacon
2.5 onions chopped in chunks
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 sweet potato (peeled and chopped into chunks)
2 potatoes (peeled and chopped into chunks)
1 tsp cracked pepper
4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of water
1 bunch of fresh thyme (chopped fine)
salt or vegeta

1. Fry the bacon until almost crip.
2. Add the onions and garlic and fry until translucent
3. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat and add potatoes, carrots, celery, cracked pepper, fresh thyme and cook until soft.
5. Add water if it's too thick.
6. Add salt or vegeta to taste
7. When all is properly cooked blend with hand blender until relatively smooth.

Serve hot with a nice bun with butter.

Oxtail Soup

Just like most West Indian recipes, there are a million versions of Oxtail Soup.
This is my Mother in Law's extended version.

You'll need:

About 4lbs Oxtail (cut Small)
1 large onion (chopped into med sized pieces)
1 or 2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 or 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 small cassava (chopped)
1 yam (chopped)
2 small potatoes (chopped)
1 or 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 scotch bonnet to float
Salt
Pepper
about 8 springs of fresh thyme
a little grated nutmeg
about a tbsp of curry
a couple of tbsp of cassareep.


First rinse and clean your oxtail with lime


Then place on a baking sheet and broil until browned on both sides, turning over the pieces once.


Take out of the oven and set aside for a moment.


brown the onions in olive oil and when they're translucent....


Add the oxtail, garlic and juices and brown a few minutes more.


Add the 2 or 3 stalks of chopped celery, chopped cassava, chopped yam, chopped potatoes , chopped carrots, scotch bonnett to float, salt, pepper, a little grated nutmeg, about a tbsp of curry, a couple of tbsp of cassareep, 8 or so springs of fresh thyme, and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium low and stew for hours for the best results, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender checking for flavour. Add salt if needed.

I love this with rice, but it's really "stick to your ribs" food.
It's not light fare.