Split pea ham soup (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
1 meaty ham bone
02 -
1 large onion, chopped into pieces
03 -
1 cup of diced celery
04 -
1 cup of chopped carrots
05 -
1 bag (16 oz) of dried split green peas
→ Seasonings
06 -
1 bay leaf
07 -
1 teaspoon of salt
08 -
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
09 -
1/2 teaspoon of thyme, dried
# Instructions:
01 -
Take some time to sort through the peas and toss aside any that don't look right or any small debris. Rinse them well under cold water. Put the peas in a big, heavy pot, pour in enough water to cover them by about 2 inches, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover it, let sit for 1 to 4 hours till softened, and then strain and toss the water.
02 -
Dump the softened peas back into the big pot. Add 2-1/2 quarts of clean water, the ham bone, the onion pieces, salt, thyme, a bay leaf, and a pinch of pepper. Crank up the heat until it bubbles.
03 -
Lower the heat to the minimum, cover the pot, and let it slowly bubble for an hour and a half. Stir it now and then so it doesn’t stick.
04 -
Take the ham bone out of the soup. When it’s cool enough, pull off the meat, throw away the bone, and dice the ham into small chunks. Add the ham pieces back into the soup.
05 -
Add cubed carrots and celery into the pot. Keep the soup bubbling gently, uncovered this time, for another 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally, and cook until the veggies are tender and it’s as thick as you like. Toss out the bay leaf before eating.
# Notes:
01 -
The soup gets even yummier after sitting overnight, giving time for all the flavors to mix.
02 -
No ham bone? You can swap in diced ham or ham hocks, though it might not have the same depth.
03 -
Once cool, the soup will thicken up a lot. You might need to add some water when warming it up again.