Yes, I Can Screw In a Lightbulb

I was extremely lucky to have both of my great grandparents until I was 21 years old. First generation Poles, they were fiercely proud of their roots. One of my favorite stories about my great grandfather (of whom I was named after) comes circa the Monica Lewinsky controversy. His only concern was making sure she was Jewish, not Polish; we could not have this trollop defiling the name of his Polish brethren. Not that these things are always mutually exclusive–there are, of course, Jewish Poles– but this was not how his mind worked. He was not to be bothered by details.

My great grandmother would make these over the top Polish meals, where every inch of the table was covered with food. pierogis, gwumpkies, blintzes and kielbasa blanketed every inch of the dining surface. She would urge you to “Eat, EAT, EAT!!” We would stuff ourselves until we could barely move, needing to go for walks after these epic meals just to get the blood flowing. After these gluttonous endeavors, as we sat at a table full of scraps, it never failed that she would say to someone in the family, “Dear, you really ought to think about losing some weight”. She meant well; this is just what she did. Great Grandma was not familiar with irony.

My love for Polish food runs deep as a result of my upbringing. I have been meaning to make pierogis for the whole winter, but it is quite the undertaking. Luckily, kielbasa, probably my favorite part of these meals from my errant youth, is much easier to prepare.

The photo of this soup ain’t pretty, because it is pea soup; it just is not all that visually pleasing. Also, your home will have a very distinct eau de meat smell. Pay no mind to the odor (though I actually kind of like it)…this is a really good soup. It is easy to make, filling and flavorful. I made this healthier and more flavorful by making some adjustments to the original recipe. I upped the amount of carrots, added celery to the soup, switched the pork kielbasa for a healthier turkey variety, used chicken broth as a liquid and added some herbs de provence. This may seem like a bit of an odd soup, but I really don’t think I will ever make pea soup with ham again; the kielbasa far outshines the ham.

I think great grandma would be proud.

Split Pea and Kielbasa Soup

Adapted from All Recipes

12 ounces dried green split peas (about an inch should be left in the bottom of the bag)
1 quart low sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

16 ounces turkey kielbasa sausage, chopped finely

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

3 celery stalks, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Cut sausage into 1/4 inch cubes, reserving 1/4 of sausage. Place 1/4 sausage and 1/2 cup broth in blender. Puree. (I did this in the pot with a stick blender. I also think this step could be skipped if you don’t have the patience to do the extra dishes.)

Pour rest of broth and the water in soup pot. Bring to simmering boil while adding diced onion and sausage cubes. Add puree, bay leaf, herbs de provence and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add carrots and celery and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
Rinse split peas and add to simmering pot. Simmer until peas are soft but NOT mushy. (You may need to add splashes of water if things are looking dry.) Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.