Pea and Ham Soup Recipe

A ham bone or hock can be used in this soup. We purchase a leg ham bone from a delicatessen. We choose a bone with a substantial amount of meat attached so that the soup will have plenty of ham chunks. The split peas disintegrate during cooking to give the soup a thick consistency. You will need a stockpot or saucepan with a capacity of at least 5 litres for this recipe.

Preparation time: about 35 minutes (excludes cooking time)

Yields approximately 2.5 litres (10 cups) of soup.

Serves about 6.

We use a 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

500g (about 2 1/4 cups) green split peas
2 medium onions (about 300g total), peeled and finely chopped
2 medium carrots (about 260g total), peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery (about 200g total), stalks finely chopped (discard leaves)
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1kg meaty ham bone or ham hock
1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 litres (8 cups) water
Salt, to taste

Check the split peas and discard any discoloured peas or foreign objects. Place split peas in a sieve/colander and thoroughly rinse under cold running water.

Place split peas, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ham bone/hock, bay leaf, pepper and water in a stockpot or very large saucepan (at least 5 litre capacity). © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Place pot over high heat and bring liquid to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low so the liquid is simmering. Cover pan leaving lid ajar.

During cooking, use a spoon to skim the froth from the surface of the soup.

Stir often, especially towards the end of the cooking time, to prevent the split peas sticking to the bottom of the pot.

After 2 hours simmering, use tongs or two forks to remove the ham bone/hock from the pot. Leave the soup simmering uncovered. Set the ham bone/hock aside until cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes). Discard the bay leaf.

Remove the meat from the bone, discarding the bone and fat.

Roughly chop meat and return to the soup.

Stir soup and taste to check whether salt is needed. Ladle soup into warmed bowls and serve with crusty bread. Soup can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au