Split Pea Soup with Gouda-Sausage Toasts

Prep Time: 0 Minutes

Cook Time: 0 Minutes

Ready In: 0 Minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound dried green split peas

1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), split lengthwise

4 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth

2 onions, chopped

3 large celery stalks, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled

1 large bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/2 cups firmly packed shredded gouda (about 10 ounces)

strong german-style mustard

12 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough baguette, toasted

Directions:

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot; reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer sausage to large plate; cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve 1/4 of sausage pieces; return remaining sausage to soup. Add 1 cup Gouda to soup and stir until melted. Thin soup to desired consistency with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm
3. Preheat broiler. Mix remaining 1 1/2 cups Gouda with reserved sausage pieces. Spread generous amount of mustard on bread slices. Top with Gouda-sausage mixture. Broil until cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve soup, passing toasts separately.

By RecipeOfHealth.com