Christian's hearty pea soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg pork knuckle(s), fresh
• 200 g smoked and streaky bacon
• 300 g peas, green
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 1 large carrot(s)
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• 1 celeriac
• 1 onion(s)
• 4 large potatoes
• Salt
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• marjoram
• 2 tsp mustard, medium hot
• 4 tsp vegetable broth, instant

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

Soak the peas in cold water overnight for 12 hours. Salt the pork knuckle and sear it on all sides in a soup pot. Fill with water and add the previously finely chopped vegetables and spices. Simmer for 2 hours. Then remove the pork knuckle and pour the stock through a sieve. Now add the peas that have soaked overnight to the stock (without the soaking water!). Peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the pot. After boiling for half an hour, season to taste with salt, but not too much, as the bacon will be added later. Let it cook for another hour. In the meantime, dice the bacon and fry until crispy in a pan, then add it to the pot. Season again with salt. And finally, of course, stir the pork knuckle (cut into bite-sized pieces) into the now creamy soup. You can, of course, add delicious sausages to the side, but that’s a matter of taste. Finally, just spread some fresh bread with plenty of butter and add a generous splash of Maggi to your plate (it’s a must here in the Lower Rhine region, the Maggi thing) and the feasting can begin!