On a chilly day here, nothing could be better than the sound of the fire crackling in the fireplace, the smell of soup in the kettle, and cornbread in the oven. My nose was teasing my taste buds. My taste buds were basking in the anticipation of being drenched in absolute deliciousness.

The usual business card (the aromas of the kitchen) was being left behind and everyone, from every corner of the house, inside and out, had begun to be attracted to the need for a drink of water, a cup of of coffee or whatever she put in or near the kitchen. The only thing was, we all knew that when Aunt Nelly was in the “kitchen business”, you didn’t dare bother her unless you had a chore in the kitchen or a 911 emergency that involved blood. The reason is that cooking for a small army required a lot of concentration and a lot more work.

Aunt Nelly was making emerald soup to be served with hot buttered cornbread. She had soups of all colors in her recipe collection. Ruby Red Soup (Cream Of Tomato And Pepper), Harvest Yellow Soup (Cream Of Butternut Squash And Squash), Brown Meat Soup (Flavorous Vegetable Beef). There was even a purple plum soup that was served cold on a small square of sponge cake as a dessert soup on hot summer days. What can I say, Aunt Nelly was a quaint person. Her soup was out of this world, as Aunt Nita would say, “just heavenly”, or “this is divine!”.

Don’t be fooled by the secret ingredient here! It gives it so much flavor and even those who literally hate it can’t tell you to put it in the pot unless you tell them to. When you serve this creamy and appetizing emerald soup, your friends will be green with envy.

emerald soup

2 Ham Knuckles

5 C. Water

1 cup vegetable broth

1 16oz. packet of split peas

1/2 cup canned spinach with juice (puree) {secret ingredient}

salt and pepper to taste

1 C. Half n Half

3 tablespoons of butter

1 small yellow onion (chopped)

1 garlic clove (minced)

pinch of ground cumin

In a large heavy pot, place the Ham Hocks, water and vegetable stock. You can add salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

Add the split peas, stir, and adjust the heat setting to medium heat. Cover with lid, bring to a slow boil for 1 hour. Stir occasionally, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pot.

While the peas are simmering, in a small skillet over LOW heat melt the butter.

Add the onion and garlic to the butter. Sauté until transparent. Add to the peas, stir well, replace the lid and continue to a slow boil. Stir every 10 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the pot.

Puree the spinach in a food processor making sure all the spinach is completely pureed. To puree spinach in the peas, stir well.

Add half and half. stirring well

Add a pinch of cumin. Stirring well once more. Remove lid from soup pot and DO NOT REPLACE.

Set the heat setting to low simmer. Stir frequently, keeping the sides and bottom scraped down. Let the soup simmer for about 15 more minutes.

Serve in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream placed in the middle and a sprinkling of parsley. Don’t forget the hot buttered cornbread!

from a collection by Joyce M. Edwards (Smile, It’s Food Talking)