6 cups chicken broth
1 smoked turkey leg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups split peas
1 bay leaf

1. Bring chicken broth and turkey leg to a simmer in a large pot. Continue cooking until meat can easily be pried away from the bone.
2. Remove the turkey from the broth and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender.
3. Add the vegetables to the chicken broth along with the split peas and bay leaf. Simmer until peas are tender, about 1 hour, then stir gently until the peas break down and thicken the broth.
4. Stir the turkey back into the soup and reheat. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Makes 6 servings

An online friend of mine was talking about a smoked turkey pea soup that she made and it made me want some. I set out on an epic 2 hour journey around Montreal in search of a smoked turkey piece. Back in Grande Prairie I would always see smoked turkey legs or wings and no one ever seemed to buy them. No one bought them, but they were there. I found plenty of smoked turkey deli meat, but I could not find any smoked turkey pieces. I found what I think was at least 50 different kinds of smoked pork and beef products including smokies, at least as many types of smoked fish, cigarette smokes and I may have even seen a smoke signal; but no smoked turkey. I found frog legs, marinated horse kebab and whole rabbits, but I can't find a turkey leg anywhere within a kilometer radius, it's ridiculous.

Instead of taking the logical route and going with ham, I skipped the smoked part altogether and just bought a non-smoked turkey leg. I wanted something that was not only different in principle to the Split Peas and Ham I made, but at least somewhat dissimilar in ingredients as well. This worked well for me because I'm sort of into bland food like mushy peas and beans, especially with a nice hunk of crusty baguette. I think it has something to do with putting a whole package of saltine crackers in my soups as a kid or really enjoying the taste of white bread or something. Never the less, this has opened up my eyes to a whole new world of Split Pea Soup.

Now, I still find it hard to fathom that people could actually love split pea soup. I'm actually finding it hard to consider ever remaking it, even though I did enjoy it. As far as waiting time and cost of ingredients, I'd much rather make something like the Mexican Black Bean Soup I made last month. However, split peas seem much more adept at picking up flavors. This is the perfect base for at least 3 different and equally delicious soups off the top of my head, which makes it one of the most versatile soups I can think of. Make the base and add curry powder for a curried split pea soup. Add chili powder if you're looking in the fridge in the mood for a chili but too lazy to fry beef. Stir in some Old Bay seasoning and some crab if you're looking for a tasty and filling New England dish! Okay, maybe that last one is a little disgusting, but you could add virtually any seasoning you wanted to mould this to your liking.