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