Ingredients

• 1 pound dried yellow split peas
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 small onions, finley chopped
• 1 pound salt pork in a piece
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the yellow split peas carefully. Cover them with chicken broth, add the chopped onions, salt pork, bay leaf and herbs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 to1 1/4 hours or until the peas are tender but have not fallen apart.
2. Remove salt pork from the soup; discard the bay leaf and season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the salt pork into 1/4 inch slices. Place a few slices of pork in individual serving bowls, ladle soup over the pork and serve with good rye bread.
3. VARIATIONS Add a chopped carrot and stalk of celery to the mixture; after you remove the salt pork, puree the soup and thin with more stock if too thick.
4. Or simmer soup without salt pork; saute kielbasa until crisp, slice thinly and serve in soup.