Spicy Yellow Split Pea Soup with Italian Sausage and Green Pepper

Ingredients

• 1 T + 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Italian herb blend
• 1/2 tsp. ground fennel seed
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 pkg. hot turkey Italian sausage
• 2 cups yellow split peas
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut the onion, celery, and green bell pepper into a very fine dice. Warm 1 T olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot, then stir in the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
2. Add the garlic, Italian herb blend, ground fennel seed, and red pepper flakes, if you’re using them. Let everything cook together for about 1-2 minutes, just long enough for the garlic and spices to wake up.
3. As the vegetables are cooking, warm the other 1 T olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan. Press the hot turkey Italian sausage from its casings into the pan, and cook it until nicely browned, using your turner to crumble it as it goes.
4. Once the sausage is browned, move it into the soup pot along with the yellow split peas and chicken stock. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then lower the heat so it can simmer.
5. After 1 hour, taste the soup for seasoning and stir in about 2 cups water. Keep simmering, adding water when the soup needs it, until the split peas are fully tender and beginning to fall apart into the broth. The whole simmering time will be 2-4 hours, depending on the age of the split peas and how soft you’d like them.
6. Serve the soup with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the side, so people can add them if they like.