Old-fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham
Old-fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham
You are going to love this split pea soup! So rich and flavorful… seasoned just right. Just what you need on these cold days, especially if you have a leftover ham to use up. Hearty and full of vegetables… definitely not like any split pea soup you’ve ever tried! Can be made vegetarian without ham too!!
Old-fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham
Yield: 10 - 12 servings
Ingredients:
1-pound dried split peas
8 cups water
1 hambone or 2 ham hocks, optional
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced small
3 celery stalks, diced small
2 potatoes unpeeled, diced small
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 tablespoons chicken, ham or vegetable soup base
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ - 2 cups ham, ½-inch cube
Garnish: Chopped fresh parsley or croutons
Equipment needed:
Large 5 – 6 quart pot with lid
Large strainer
Cutting board
Chef knife
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Rubber spatula
Soup ladle
Hand emersion blender/ blender (optional)
Ingredient pic
When I say I am making split pea soup, so many people have told me that they dislike it. Not sure why… maybe because it’s like wall paper paste devoid of flavor, but I grew up in a household where soup was flavorful and amazing! Split pea was always rich and full of flavor, especially when we used a hambone leftover from a holiday dinner. I remember going to the butcher with my dad just to get a couple ham hocks for soup too! My mother in law always told me the story when her mother made split pea soup with peas and water… nothing else. She said it was horrible, but that was all they had so she was forced to eat it, sometimes cold! When I made her this soup she wouldn’t even try it at first. To please me she took a taste and never said she hated it after that. Blocked out all the bad memories I guess! Hopefully you will agree that this split pea soup is the best one you’ve tasted too. It’s okay if you don’t want to use a hambone, just add extra ham during the cooking process and adjust the seasoning. Grab your soup kettle and let’s amaze your family with this soup!
This recipe is super simple! Takes much longer to cook than most soups, as the peas need to cook until softened. Kind of like bean soup in regards to longer cooking time. Peas can be soaked for a 4-5 hours to help reduce cooking time too. After rinsing the peas in a strainer with small holes, place them and the hambone/hocks into the large soup pot. Add water and the soup base, salt, pepper, and bay leaves, thyme, marjoram and sage. Stir well and place over medium high heat to bring to a boil. Meanwhile, dice the onions fairly small and mince the garlic…add them to the pot. Cover pot and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Set your timer for 1 hour, 40 minutes if peas are presoaked. Stir soup about every 10 – 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
While peas are simmering, prep the rest of the veggies. Cut carrots, celery and leaves and potatoes into small 1/2-inch cubes. You want every bowl to have a little of each. Smaller pieces will also cook a bit quicker. After the initial hour, remove ham bone/ hocks and allow to cool. Before adding the meat and vegetables, I puree the pea soup with an emersion hand blender. This gives the soup a smooth texture and helps to thicken it slightly. If you don’t have an emersion blender, ladle about half of the hot soup into a blender and pulse a few times. Be careful of the hot liquid and removing the top, as pressure may build up in the blender with mixing. Don’t want hot soup exploding all over the kitchen and you! If you prefer not to blend the soup, that’s okay too… may need a bit more cooking to ensure the peas are thoroughly soft and cooked. Remove the cooled meat from the ham bone, cutting away the fat, and cube into small 1/2-inch pieces. Meat should be soft enough it may shred. Go ahead and use the browned chunks too. Cut them small and they will add color and a rich caramelized flavor to the soup. I always add this meat in addition to the 1 ½ - 2 cups cubed ham listed in the recipe, as you never know exactly how much will come off the bone. I want it meaty! Last step is adding all the veggies and the meat to the pea soup and continue to simmer or 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir the soup every 10 minutes as it simmers.
By now the whole house smells amazing! Go ahead and fill a ladle of soup… doesn’t it look divine and colorful too? Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley or a few seasoned croutons… Enjoy!