Split Pea and Ham Soup

Split Pea Soup is a celebration of most everything left over from other meals.  It is a way to use fresh, preserved, or dried vegetables in the off season, and to expand the use of leftover ham.

In the tradition of not wasting food, or expanding the amount of leftover meat from a previous meal, a ham bone is a great way to add protein and flavor into the meal. Using smoked ham and/or turkey hocks add an additional punch to the bowl.

Ingredients – Option List

2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 minced garlic cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped

2-3 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 bay leaves

1 lb. dry split peas

2 quarts water and/or chicken stock

Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk, light or heavy cream is optional

1 smoked ham hock or ham bone

1 smoked turkey ham hock

How to prepare the soup

Rinse the peas is at least or three cups of water for a few hours. Save that water for part of the base.  

In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and cook the onion, and carrots, and/or celery over medium heat. Add the garlic as soon as the onions soften. Add peas, ground black pepper, bay leaves, and meat. At this point, salt is optional because of the sodium included in the meat. Cover with the water and/or a combination of water and stock.  Bring to a quick boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about an hour until the soup is thick and peas have softened. Remove the meat and set aside to cool. Then hand pull and shred the meat from the bone.

If soup starts to lose too much liquid, add one cup of water at a time until it reaches a consistency that you desire. Quite often, the soup will appear to be too watery. If you allow the soup to rest, it will thicken. After the leftover soup is refrigerated over night, it thickens to such a degree, that you may want to add your choice of liquid to thin it out.  Regular milk or some cream is good for this.

Some people prefer to strain out the small chunks of residual peas from the soup. If you want to, pour the soup through a strainer, or run it through a food processor or blender.

Add the ham back into the soup and serve. I prefer to set the meat aside and let my guests decide how much meat to put into their bowl. 

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