Description
Hearty pea and ham soup brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen, warming souls with its rich, smoky flavors. Creamy legumes and tender meat create a classic dish that connects you to generations of home cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
- 1 pound diced ham
- 1 quart (0.95 liters) chicken stock
Vegetables:
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
Seasonings and Additional Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/2 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gently melt butter in a spacious pot over medium-low heat, creating a smooth cooking base.
- Introduce finely chopped celery, onion, and minced garlic to the melted butter, allowing them to soften and become translucent without browning for approximately 5-8 minutes.
- Incorporate diced ham, aromatic bay leaf, and split peas into the vegetable mixture, stirring to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Pour in chicken stock and water, ensuring thorough integration of all components and creating a uniform liquid consistency.
- Gradually elevate the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat and cover the pot partially to maintain moisture and prevent excessive evaporation.
- Allow the soup to gently simmer for 60-75 minutes, periodically stirring to prevent ingredient settlement and ensure even cooking.
- Extract and discard the bay leaf, which has now imparted its distinctive flavor to the soup.
- Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to personal taste preferences.
- Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, ensuring each portion contains a balanced mix of ingredients, and serve immediately for optimal flavor and temperature.
Notes
- Enhance flavor by using smoked ham hock for deeper, richer taste profile.
- Consider replacing chicken stock with vegetable stock for a vegetarian adaptation.
- Customize texture by partially blending soup to create a creamier consistency without losing chunk integrity.
- Freeze leftover soup in portion-sized containers for convenient future meals, maintaining quality up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 266 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 690 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg