It was early December when my weather app predicted snow. I called my mom.

“What’s your split pea soup recipe?”

“Oh, hmm,” she said, “I always started with onions and a big bag of split peas … I like to add carrots and chunks of ham …”

I took notes as I imagined the flavors of the soup developing in the pot, the sauteed onions and carrots sweetening the earthy peas, the ham adding a hint of smokiness. As she continued describing her recipe, I realized that I first tasted this soup almost 40 years ago.

When I was a toddler, my parents owned a small restaurant in Chicago. The sign outside, an illuminated rectangle that featured the Vienna Beef logo, read “Gashi’s Hot Dogs.” (It was named after my mother, who ran the place.) The small operation consisted of a kitchen in the back, a long orange counter, maybe a dozen stools and a small box TV mounted in one corner near the ceiling.

Under a register in the middle of the counter was an open cabinet, perhaps 3 feet by 3 feet. This was my cubby. It was cozy, with pillows and blankets; I decorated the inside with stickers. For most of the day, I napped, sang to my dolls, flipped through books or played with My Little Ponys. All day, the TV played news or sports. But in the late afternoons, my mom sat me on the counter and switched the channel to my favorite show, “Scooby-Doo.”

In addition to managing the place, taking orders and serving, my mom cooked all of the food. Though it was a fully functional restaurant inside a brick building, in Chicago, this sort of place was known as a hot dog stand. Naturally, there were hot dogs – Chicago-style, of course, but also chili dogs. Every day, my mom made that chili and a few different types of soup. There was chicken soup, three-bean soup, several types of lentil soup and, on the coldest days in winter, split pea soup.

My mother says she figured out how to make split pea soup after having it at a Chicago diner sometime in her 20s. She asked the cook how they made it, and they gave her a rough idea. From there, she adapted it to suit her tastes. But, of course, my mother never wrote down her recipe.

Fortunately, I’m used to this. If we’re in the kitchen together, I can watch her, I can write down measurement estimates, I can set a timer for how long she lets something simmer. But, often, the information is relayed by phone. This works for us, though, because I’ve been watching my mother cook – and tasting her food – all my life. I know what she means when she tells me to add a big pinch of salt, when she says the soup should simmer until the peas begin to melt.

I think the best cooking is like this. It’s like jazz. You pick the ingredients, you observe them as they react to heat and each other, and you adjust as you go. If you cut the onions bigger than my mom does, you’ll just need to cook them a little longer. If you like your soup meatier, you can add more ham. My mother likes her split pea soup thick and chunky, but if you like it smooth, you can blend it. The measurements and cooking times matter far less than the cues we take from the food using our senses.

I like to think of a recipe as an idea, not a command. To cook like my mother, listen to the sound of the ham as it fries, the carrots as they soften, the peas as they burble in the broth. Smell the difference between the raw onions and the cooked, the sharpness of the garlic, the muted green of the bay leaves. And, at every step, until you feel as sure as my mother, taste and adjust. Then, taste again until it’s done.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Serves 4-5 (makes 8 to 10 cups)

Active time: 25 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Velvety and rich, this split pea soup gains lots of flavor from bits of smoked ham and musky bay leaf. A generous squeeze of lemon cheers up the homey soup. The recipe is straightforward and makes a lot, but the soup freezes well if you’re not feeding a crowd. Check the expiration date on the package of split peas before you buy them, to make sure they’re fresh and will cook quickly and evenly.

Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. (The soup may thicken significantly as it sits. If this happens, add additional broth or water while reheating. The soup may separate when defrosting; stir it back together before reheating.)

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

8 to 16 ounces ham, preferably smoked, diced into 1/4-inch cubes

1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), diced

1 large carrot (5 ounces), diced

6 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, plus more as needed

1 pound split green peas

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

DIRECTIONS

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Carefully add the ham, watching for splattering, adjusting the heat as necessary, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ham to a bowl.

Add the onion, carrot and garlic to the pot along with a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, allowing the vegetables to soften, about 5 minutes. If the pot seems dry, add a splash of water or additional oil.

Stir in about 1 cup of broth and, using a spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Increase the heat to high, and add the remaining broth, split peas, bay leaves and another pinch of salt. Bring the soup to a boil, stir it well, then reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer. Partially cover the pot, and let the soup cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the peas are so soft, they’ve nearly melted, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

If you like your soup chunky: Stir in the reserved ham.

If you like your soup smooth: Use an immersion blender to partially or completely puree it. (Or, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender: Be careful to not fill it more than halfway, and make sure to remove the center ring from the lid and hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend to prevent splatters.) Stir in the reserved ham.

Return the pot to low heat to rewarm the soup. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, stir in more broth. Taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.

Substitutions:

Instead of split peas, make this with split yellow or red lentils. The cooking time may vary.

Don’t eat ham? Skip it and add a dash of smoked paprika to the onions as they cook.

If you dislike bay leaves, try this with thyme or dill.

Nutritional Facts per serving (2 cups, using 8 ounces ham), based on 5 | Calories: 456; Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Sodium: 874 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Protein: 30 g; Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 6 g

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