Recipe: Yellow Split Pea and Smoked Salmon Bisque

YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND SMOKED SALMON BISQUE

16 ounces dried yellow split peas
4 medium-large leeks, about 1 1/4 pounds
8 ounces sliced smoked salmon

Pick out any stones from peas. Place peas in a 4-quart pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Skim foam from surface and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let sit for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, trim dark green part from leeks and set aside. Finely chop white and pale green parts only and wash thoroughly. You will need 4 heaping cups of leeks.

Drain peas in a colander and return to pot. Add chopped leeks, 6 ounces smoked salmon cut into small pieces, 5 1/2 cups cold water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cover pot. Cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut dark green part of leeks into fine julienne to yield 1/2 cup. Wash well, and blanch in a small amount of boiling salted water until soft, about 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water.

After 30 minutes, transfer contents of pot to a food processor. You may need to do this in several batches. Puree several minutes until very smooth. Add salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, garnished with blanched leeks and a small piece of remaining smoked salmon. If serving later, reheat soup, adding some cold water to thin.

Makes 8 (1 cup) servings
Source: Healthy 1-2-3: Fat-Free, Low Fat, Low Calorie, The Ultimate Three-Ingredient Cookbook by Rozanne Gold