Dutch Split Pea Soup (Erwtensoep) recipe

9 cups water
1 pound dried green split peas (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 pounds smoked pork hocks
6 leeks
4 stalks celery (with leaves), sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried savory leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound cooked smoked sliced sausage
    (kielbasa, knockwurst or frankfurters)

Heat water and peas to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients, except sausage, to peas. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Skim fat if necessary.

Remove pork hocks; cool slightly. Trim fat and bone from pork. Cut pork into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir pork and sausage into soup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until sausage is hot, 15 minutes. Remove sausage and slice. Serve sausage with pumpernickel bread and prepared mustard if desired or return to soup.

Yields 8 servings.