Split Pea & Ham Soup

Why is it that the most "homely" of soups are the ugliest to photograph? I did my best here with this delicious soup but dang, split pea is definitely not photogenic! Regardless, that hasn't stopped me from sharing this because when it comes down to it, it's all about the flavor and this soup is a winner. With the holiday weekend just ahead I thought I'd post this super easy and nourishing split pea and ham soup. I'm sure that a lot of you have company coming over or are simply too busy to fuss around in the kitchen much. This recipe is a breeze to prepare and is always a crowed pleaser. We used some smoked ham hocks from our pigs and a few slices of bacon for added flavor. Instead of using traditional carrots I chopped up a sweet potato instead. The result is a comforting soup that continues to get better a couple of days after you make it. I'm sure you can do this in the slow cooker too, I'd just sauté the bacon and veggies first before adding the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Let me know if you choose to do it that way! Happy holiday weekend everyone. Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 5 slices of thick cut bacon
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 medium-small sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch thick chunks (no need to peel)
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 1 pound dried split peas
  • 4 cups water (plus more to thin if need be)
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Minced parsley for serving

Preparation

  1. In a large dutch oven fry the bacon until cooked through and crispy. Drain on paper towels and drain off all, but about 3 tablespoons worth of bacon fat. Add the onion, sweet potato and celery and cook, stirring often until beginning to brown up a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for about two hours. Stir occasionally every 25 minutes or so. If the soup becomes way too thick add more water.
  2. Remove the soup from the heat and transfer the ham hock to a cutting board to cool for a bit. Discard fat and bones and then chop up the meat into small cubes. Return the meat to the soup and discard the bay leaf.
  3. Just before serving, crumble bacon and sprinkle on top of the soup along with the minced parsley.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Cooking times will very from kitchen to kitchen

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