Smoked Turkey Split Pea Soup

This has always been my favourite soup and I've made it since I started cooking.  My dad would always laugh at me because I hated peas (still do), but loved pea soup when he made it.  Of course, it doesn't taste anything like canned green peas does...I can eat fresh peas out of a pod, but I can't even eat frozen ones out of a bag...BLECH.

I was at Famous Foods yesterday and saw they had JD Farms smoked turkey legs, so I decided to pick them up and make some soup.

I usually like leek in my soup but forgot, so this time it would just be with ingredients I had at home.  I always make it differently with different meats (smoked or not:  pork hocks, pork bones, pork chops, ham, turkey wings, etc. etc) and veggies (carrots, leeks, green onion, etc. etc), depending on what is available and what I have at home.  I do find that smoked meat products make a better tasting soup.  I have cheated the odd time when not using it, by adding a little liquid smoke.  My results have also varied from just edible to amazing...

I started simmering the turkey legs with a bundle of thyme tied with twine.  Now, if I was thinking about it at the time, I should have added bay leaves here too but forgot.

I added in some fresh cracked pepper and Trader Joe's 21 Salute No Salt seasoning in a dutch oven full of water.  Anything "smoked" is usually quite salty.  I simmered for a couple of hours.

I took the legs out and chopped up the meat and put it back into the pot.  Then I added:

• 3 stalks of celery with leaves, sliced
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• Freshly cracked kosher salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's 21 Salute No Salt seasoning
• About 2 tablespoons fresh thyme stripped from stalks
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cups dried split green peas
• 2 Fresh stalks of Peaches & Cream sweet corn on the cob, kernels sliced off the cobs lengthwise with a sharp knife

Yes, I finished cleaning the corn...

I used to like my soup so thick that the spoon could stand up in it, but my son hates it that way (won't eat it), so I make it thinner now.  I actually enjoy it thinner these days myself.  I brought to a boil and then simmered, covered, for about another hour, till the peas were fully cooked.  I checked for seasoning and adjusted to my tastes.

Mmmm, mmm good!  I will eat this full pot with no problems...The corn added a sweetness which was new and interesting today.  This soup is ALWAYS in my repertoire.  :)  (I should have cleaned up the bowl below and garnished with some parsley - nicer for the picture, but I was hungry and lazy at this point).