Pea and Ham Soup …

Pea and Ham Soup 001

This is one of my favourite soups because it takes me back to my childhood.  It’s one of those comfort foods that reminds me of Mum working away in the kitchen while we played nearby.  For me it ticks all the boxes:  easy, quick to prepare, full of goodness, made in a single pot and suitable to freeze … gotta love that!  I always think it’s not the most attractive soup but what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavour!

Pea and Ham Soup ...
 
Author:
Ingredients ...
  • 1.5kg ham hock (or bacon bones)
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cups yellow split peas
  • 2 cups green split peas
  • 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 13 cups water
  • 5 full rashers bacon (10 x ½ rashers), optional
  • salt, to season
Method ...
  1. Combine all ingredients in large pot (except bacon rashers), bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Remove ham bone/hock (or bacon bones) from the soup and remove and shred any meat left on the bone. Discard the bones.
  3. Chop bacon rashers and fry in a non-stick pan. Add chopped bacon to soup and heat through. (You may choose not to add the bacon if you already have a lot of meat from the ham bone/hock.)
  4. Remove bay leaves and serve. If you would prefer a smoother consistency, blitz the soup through a blender.

 

Clever Tricks, Tips and Hints:

I love to use a ham bone or ham hock for this recipe as there will usually be a lot of meat left on the bone.  Once the soup is cooked, remove the ham bone/hock from the soup, remove any remaining meat, shred and add to the soup.  Bacon bones are a great substitute but generally don’t have as much meat on the bone, so that’s why I add the extra/optional bacon.  Bacon bones also tend to have smaller bones which you don’t want to accidentally leave in the soup, so do be careful.

This recipe will make a massive pot of soup.  It is suitable to freeze but if you decide just to store it in the fridge to eat within a couple of days, you will notice this soup firms up and will solidify.  Don’t worry too much because it will reduce to its liquid consistency as soon as it’s reheated.

You will notice my version of the soup is quite chunky.  That’s simply personal preference as I love the texture of the lumps.  If you would rather a smoother consistency, simply blitz your soup with a blender.  Either way, it will still taste great.

Serve this with fresh crusty bread or use this as an opportunity to toast up all those leftover slices of bread and crusts that are lurking at the back of your freezer.  Simply toast the bread/crust, sprinkle with grated cheese, add a touch of parmesan and then grill!  Yummy!!

So tell me, do you have a favourite soup recipe that reminds you of your childhood?

Comments

  1. It looks very comforting and delicious Sandie! I tend to buy lots of bacon and ham bones for soup 🙂