Pea soup with pork knuckle and Mettendchen

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g peas, green, unpeeled
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 pork knuckle(s)
• 5 smoked Mettwurst
• 5 large potatoes
• 2 liters of water
• 2 tsp, heaped vegetable broth, instant
• salt and pepper
• 4 shots of Maggi

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 15 minutes

A hearty winter stew

Place the peas in a pot and soak in plenty of water for about 12 hours. Drain the water and add more water so that the peas are covered. Bring to a boil, drain again, and add 2-3 liters of water. Add the pork knuckle and bring to a boil, making sure the meat is almost completely covered. Meanwhile, clean and roughly chop the vegetables and cook them in a separate pot in a little water with vegetable stock. Then puree them finely in the stock and add them to the soup, which should now simmer for about 2-2.5 hours to allow the meat to cook. Season with salt and pepper and add a few dashes of Maggi. After about 1.5 hours, peel the potatoes, dice them into medium-sized pieces, and cook until tender. Remove the meat from the pot, remove any bacon and bones, and chop them up. Then add them to the soup along with the Mettendchen and simmer for about 30 minutes. Just before the end, add the potatoes and cook briefly. You can always vary the amount of liquid with water and broth, but the soup should be nice and creamy and thick. Be careful, the potatoes will absorb more liquid. The soup tastes especially good if it’s left to stand overnight.