Pea and Ham Soup Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours Total time: 2Âź hours Serves: 8 (4 +more) Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil 2 brown onions, finely diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery sticks, diced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cups yellow or green dried split peas 2 ham hocks, skin and fat removed 2 litres (8 cups) water salt and pepper
Method
1 Heat oil in a large pot over medium–high heat, add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion softens (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute. 2 Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Discard any discoloured peas. Add peas, ham hocks and water to pot, bring to the boil. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until the peas are mushy and the ham meat falls from the bone. 3 Remove ham hocks from pot using tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the ham meat from the bones and roughly chop into small pieces. Discard the bones. 4 Using a spoon, skim the froth from the surface of the soup. Blend the remaining soup in the pot using a stick blender or remove in batches to blend in a food processor until smooth. 5 Return pea mixture and ham to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
If you didn’t heed my advice in summer and keep the leftover ham and bone from Christmas, then give it a try now with ham hocks. Make double and freeze half for another evening.