Leek and Split Pea Soup with Pistou

Ingredients

Pistou is French pesto, probably made with fresh basil. For me, this recipe is so old it was made with dried basil. Surely it would be fabulous with fresh basil but I've been making it as written for so long I just haven't got around to trying that.

• Leeks - More mild than onions and a nice way to use them.

• Italian sausage - Support a local supplier who makes gluten free sausage. In Calgary mine is Spolumbo.

• Carrots, potatoes & green beans - This is a veggie forward soup and I like that. Since it's a winter soup I'll be using frozen green beans.

• Gluten free chicken stock - A pantry staple but ingredient lists change so fast I stick to brands with a gluten free certification logo.

• Split peas - Buying dried or canned legumes is a mindset shift. Learning to substitute and use what you have is something you can definitely learn.

• Tomato paste - Not all pistou recipes use tomato but this one does.

• Parmesan cheese - Where would we be without Parm.

• Dried parsley & basil - Fresh or fabulous but I never apologize for using dried herbs.

See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.

Fun Food Facts: Legumes vs Pulses

Legumes are high in fibre and excellent for every diet, that's all you need to know. Fun Food Facts are for foodies and wanna be foodies.

• Legumes refer to plants whose fruit is enclosed in a pod. Fresh beans, including soybeans, peas and peanuts are all legumes. Alfalfa and clover are also legumes but I cannot picture either of them in my kitchen.
• Pulses are in the legume family and refer to the dried seed of the legume plant. Dried peas (like split peas), edible beans (kidney beans and black beans), lentils and chickpeas all came from a pod so are all pulses.

Instructions

Split peas - Split peas do not need to be soaked. When peas and beans are hulled and split they cook is less time, usually under an hour. Don't pass over recipes because you think they need to soak for 8 hours. Learn about them and find recipes you love.

Avoid overcooking - It's easy to let your soup bubble away for longer than intended. Stick with the suggested times and enjoy the texture and flavour of all the ingredients.

Pistou - As it says in the recipe, stir it all in at once or dollop it on each serving for the full effect of the aroma as it melts into the bowl in front of you.

Substitutions & Variations

Split Peas - Substitute with a can of lentils in this recipe. Rinsing them decreases the excess sodium and starch. FYI, canned legumes cause less gas and bloating than dried.

Sausage - Substitute with your favourite sausage or omit it for a vegetarian version and use vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Leeks - Substitute with regular cooking onions.

Herbs - I use dried herbs in the pistou. For a fresh tasting variation substitute fresh parsley and basil. For every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs use 1 tablespoon of fresh, that three times the amount.

Soup - This is cooking, not baking, so make any substitution and variations you want. I try to stick as close to the original recipe the first time I make it to taste the combination the person sharing it intended. Then change it to your liking.

Get The Tools

For the everyday home cook like me, the largest pot in a typical set of pots is perfect for making soup. A real Dutch oven like the Le Creuset enamelled cast iron pot is worth the investment (if you can lift it) and a fabulous gift. They're heavy and expensive but will last a lifetime. For a fraction of the cost you can buy a lesser quality enamelled cast iron Dutch oven and I’m pretty sure it will last for decades too.