Split Pea and Ham Soup
This recipe builds on my mother’s, which I recall so fondly from my childhood in Canada. After a hard day of play in the cold west coast winter rain, sitting down to this sweet smoky broth was such a treat.
We used to eat it with bucket loads of croutons cooked in butter, but now I tend to eat it with just a little fresh bread. However you have it, I’m sure it will become a winter favorite.
Enjoy this delicious split pea and ham soup recipe!
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb green split peas dried
- 8 ½ cups water
- 1 ham hock smoked
- 1.5 cups ham diced, cooked
- 3/4 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- butter
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Soak the peas overnight in water.
- Rinse the peas and discard water.
- Place a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large heavy-based pot. Over a medium to high heat, soften the onion, carrot, and celery.
- After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and continue cooking.
- Add about a liter of water, the hock, bay leaves and rinsed peas. Stir and add another liter of water.
- Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Allow to simmer for 4 hours (more liquid may be added if the contents become too dry).
- While the soup is cooking, sauté the diced cooked ham in a frying pan over a high heat with a little butter. When it starts to brown, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Pour boiling water on the fresh or frozen peas and allow to stand for 1 minute, then strain and set aside.
- Once the soup has finished cooking, allow it to cool slightly, remove the hock and bay leaves, and blend or process the soup until smooth.
- Return the blended soup to a medium heat and taste for seasoning; it will have been infused by salt from the hock.
- Add the cooked ham and peas and serve.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
