Split Pea Soup with Gouda-Sausage Toasts

• 1 pound dried green split peas
• 1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage (such as Kielbasa), split lengthwise
• 4 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 1/2 cups firmly packed shredded Gouda (about 10 ounces)
• Strong German-style mustard
• 12 1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough baguette, toasted

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in heavy soup pot or Dutch oven.
2. Bring to boil over high heat.
3. Cover pot; reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
4. Transfer sausage to large plate; cut into bite-size pieces.
5. Reserve 1/4 of sausage pieces; return remaining sausage to soup.
6. Add 1 cup Gouda to soup and stir until melted.
7. Thin soup to desired consistency with water if necessary.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Keep warm
10. Preheat broiler.
11. Mix remaining 1 1/2 cups Gouda with reserved sausage pieces.
12. Spread generous amount of mustard on bread slices.
13. Top with Gouda-sausage mixture.
14. Broil until cheese melts and begins to brown.
15. Serve soup, passing toasts separately.

peas, sausage, lowsalt, onions, celery stalks, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, ground cloves, gouda, mustard, sourdough baguette

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/split-pea-soup-with-gouda-sausage-toasts-2544 (may not work)